Innocenzo Leonelli
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__NOTOC__ Innocenzo Leonelli ('' il Venerabile'') (1592 – April 1625), also called "the hermit of Maddalena", was a soldier whose fierce religiosity led him to vow to fight only enemies of the
Catholic The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the List of Christian denominations by number of members, largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics Catholic Church by country, worldwid ...
faith. He was the son of a "wealthy and semi-noble family". His father, Giulio Leonelli, was a well-respected lawyer and onetime governor of
Turin Turin ( , ; ; , then ) is a city and an important business and cultural centre in northern Italy. It is the capital city of Piedmont and of the Metropolitan City of Turin, and was the first Italian capital from 1861 to 1865. The city is main ...
. His brothers were Mutatesia Leonelli, who was appointed as treasurer of the pontifical chambers by
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, and the
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missionary A missionary is a member of a Religious denomination, religious group who is sent into an area in order to promote its faith or provide services to people, such as education, literacy, social justice, health care, and economic development.Thoma ...
Ignatius of Jesus. He first fought in
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and later, in 1617 he served his faith by fighting
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in
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and
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. In 1620 or 1622, after returning from his campaigns, he gave his wealth to the poor and renounced his name; seeking peace, he cloistered himself in the hermitage of
Santa Maria Maddalena The Santa Maria Maddalena is a Roman Catholic, Catholic church in Rome, Italy dedicated to Saint Mary Magdalene. It is the conventual church of the adjacent General Curia of the Clerks Regular, Ministers to the Sick (Camillians), the world headqu ...
in
Brescia Brescia (, ; ; or ; ) is a city and (municipality) in the region of Lombardy, in Italy. It is situated at the foot of the Alps, a few kilometers from the lakes Lake Garda, Garda and Lake Iseo, Iseo. With a population of 199,949, it is the se ...
, taking the name of Tiburzio Lazzari. He spent his time with the sick and destitute, providing them with conversation and consolation, and would leave the hermitage only to go begging for
alms Alms (, ) are money, food, or other material goods donated to people living in poverty. Providing alms is often considered an act of Charity (practice), charity. The act of providing alms is called almsgiving. Etymology The word ''alms'' come ...
. The life of a
hermit A hermit, also known as an eremite (adjectival form: hermitic or eremitic) or solitary, is a person who lives in seclusion. Eremitism plays a role in a variety of religions. Description In Christianity, the term was originally applied to a Chr ...
sapped his health and he fell gravely ill. The wealthy of
Brescia Brescia (, ; ; or ; ) is a city and (municipality) in the region of Lombardy, in Italy. It is situated at the foot of the Alps, a few kilometers from the lakes Lake Garda, Garda and Lake Iseo, Iseo. With a population of 199,949, it is the se ...
offered him succor in their palaces but he refused them. Rather, he asked to be taken to a
hospital A hospital is a healthcare institution providing patient treatment with specialized Medical Science, health science and auxiliary healthcare staff and medical equipment. The best-known type of hospital is the general hospital, which typically ...
to die among the same people he had previously ministered to. Following his death in April 1625, the faithful considered him so holy the Bishop of
Brescia Brescia (, ; ; or ; ) is a city and (municipality) in the region of Lombardy, in Italy. It is situated at the foot of the Alps, a few kilometers from the lakes Lake Garda, Garda and Lake Iseo, Iseo. With a population of 199,949, it is the se ...
had to protect his body from those wanting it for
relics In religion, a relic is an object or article of religious significance from the past. It usually consists of the physical remains or personal effects of a saint or other person preserved for the purpose of veneration as a tangible memorial. Reli ...
. The Bishop later convened a trial to examine his life and works, and thereafter Leonelli was referred to as '' il Venerabile''. Two years after his death, the regents of the hospital re-buried him in a tomb of fine marble. The tomb was relocated in 1733 as part of the restoration and improvements made to the temple of Santa Lucia at that time.


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* – Mentioned in Vernarecci (1903) p. 653 {{DEFAULTSORT:Leonelli, Innocenzo 1592 births 1625 deaths 17th-century Italian military personnel Italian venerated Catholics Italian people of the Thirty Years' War Italian hermits