Luca Belludi (between 1200 and 1210 – 17 February 1286) was an Italian Franciscan friar from

Padua Padua ( ) is a city and ''comune'' (municipality) in Veneto, northern Italy, and the capital of the province of Padua. The city lies on the banks of the river Bacchiglione, west of Venice and southeast of Vicenza, and has a population of 20 ...

. Belludi is said to have been vested into the order by

Francis of Assisi Giovanni di Pietro di Bernardone ( 1181 – 3 October 1226), known as Francis of Assisi, was an Italians, Italian Mysticism, mystic, poet and Friar, Catholic friar who founded the religious order of the Franciscans. Inspired to lead a Chris ...

himself at age 25. He attended

Padua University The University of Padua (, UNIPD) is an Italian public research university in Padua, Italy. It was founded in 1222 by a group of students and teachers from the University of Bologna, who previously settled in Vicenza; thus, it is the second-oldest ...

and was ordained priest in 1227. He became a close friend of

Anthony of Padua Anthony of Padua, Order of Friars Minor, OFM, (; ; ) or Anthony of Lisbon (; ; ; born Fernando Martins de Bulhões; 15 August 1195 – 13 June 1231) was a Portuguese people, Portuguese Catholic priest and member of the Order of Friars Minor. ...

, taking an active part in his prayers and assisting him to draft his sermons. Through prayer and the intercession of St Anthony (to whom he prayed after Anthony's death) he took part in the liberation of Padua from the tyrant

Ezzelino III da Romano Ezzelino III da Romano (25 April 1194, Tombolo, Veneto, Tombolo7 October 1259) was an Italian feudal lord, a member of the Ezzelini family, in the March of Treviso (in modern Veneto). He was a close ally of the emperor Frederick II, Holy Roman ...

in 1256. After Belludi's own death in Padua in 1286, his body was buried in the same urn as St Anthony – they remained there until 1971, when they were transported into a chapel now dedicated to him (also known as the chapel of Saints Philip and James the Less or the Conti Chapel), noted for its frescoes by

Giusto de' Menabuoi ''Cappella del beato Luca Belludi'' Sant'Antonio (Padua) Giusto de' Menabuoi (c. 1320–1391) was an Italian painter of the early Renaissance. He was born in the Republic of Florence. He was likely a pupil of Giotto but this is not definitive. ...

Pope Pius XI Pope Pius XI (; born Ambrogio Damiano Achille Ratti, ; 31 May 1857 – 10 February 1939) was head of the Catholic Church from 6 February 1922 until his death in February 1939. He was also the first sovereign of the Vatican City State u ...

beatified him on 18 May 1927. The external cloister at

Basilica of Saint Anthony of Padua The Pontifical Basilica of Saint Anthony of Padua () is a Catholic Church, Catholic church and Basilicas in the Catholic Church, minor basilica in Padua, Veneto, Northern Italy, dedicated to Anthony of Padua, St. Anthony of Padua. Although the ...

is also now dedicated to Belludi.

References

Religious leaders from Padua 1200s births 1286 deaths Franciscan beatified people Italian beatified people {{Italy-reli-bio-stub