Ottone Frangipane (1040 – 23 March 1127), also known as Saint Ottone (or Saint Otho), was a

Benedictine , image = Medalla San Benito.PNG , caption = Design on the obverse side of the Saint Benedict Medal , abbreviation = OSB , formation = , motto = (English: 'Pray and Work') , found ...

monk and 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 C ...

. He is

patron saint A patron saint, patroness saint, patron hallow or heavenly protector is a saint who in Catholic Church, Catholicism, Anglicanism, or Eastern Orthodoxy is regarded as the heavenly advocacy, advocate of a nation, place, craft, activity, class, ...

Ariano Irpino Ariano Irpino (formerly Ariano di Puglia or simply Ariano) is an Italian city and municipality in the province of Avellino, in the Campania region. With a population of 22,535 (2017), it is the second-largest settlement of the Irpinia district a ...

and the

diocese of Ariano Irpino-Lacedonia In church governance, a diocese or bishopric is the ecclesiastical district under the jurisdiction of a bishop. History In the later organization of the Roman Empire, the increasingly subdivided provinces were administratively associ ...

Life

Ottone is believed to have belonged to the

Frangipani family The Frangipani family was a powerful Roman patrician clan in the Middle Ages. The family was firmly Guelph in sympathy. The name has many spellings, which include Frangipane, Freiapane, Fricapane and Fresapane. In his '' Trattatello in laud ...

, a powerful baronial family occupying a prominent position in Rome from the 11th to the 13th century. Manoeuvring cleverly between the Empire and the Papacy, they were instrumental in the appointment of at least two popes:

Honorius II Pope Honorius II (9 February 1060 – 13 February 1130), born Lamberto Scannabecchi,Levillain, pg. 731 was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 21 December 1124 to his death in 1130. Although from a humble background, ...

and

Innocent II Pope Innocent II ( la, Innocentius II; died 24 September 1143), born Gregorio Papareschi, was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 14 February 1130 to his death in 1143. His election as pope was controversial and the fi ...

. Around 1058, Ottone, then a knight, took part in a military action in defence of the Pope against rebel lords in the area of

Frascati Frascati () is a city and ''comune'' in the Metropolitan City of Rome Capital in the Lazio region of central Italy. It is located south-east of Rome, on the Alban Hills close to the ancient city of Tusculum. Frascati is closely associated wit ...

. He was captured and put in chains in a cell in a tower, from which he escaped after beseeching the intercession of the patron saint of the imprisoned, Saint Leonard of Limoges, who appeared to him in the night and released him from his chains. Thus miraculously set free, he went on pilgrimage to the Abbey of Cava de' Tirreni, where under the direction of the abbot Pietro he followed the

Rule of St Benedict The ''Rule of Saint Benedict'' ( la, Regula Sancti Benedicti) is a book of precepts written in Latin in 516 by St Benedict of Nursia ( AD 480–550) for monks living communally under the authority of an abbot. The spirit of Saint Benedict's R ...

, dedicating himself to prayer and manual labour. He then went to Montevergine Abbey, where he came to know Saint William of Vercelli and developed his vocation to

asceticism Asceticism (; from the el, ἄσκησις, áskesis, exercise', 'training) is a lifestyle characterized by abstinence from sensual pleasures, often for the purpose of pursuing spiritual goals. Ascetics may withdraw from the world for their p ...

. In about 1117, Ottone went to

. At this time the city was a place of transit for the pilgrims travelling from

Naples Naples (; it, Napoli ; nap, Napule ), from grc, Νεάπολις, Neápolis, lit=new city. is the regional capital of Campania and the third-largest city of Italy, after Rome and Milan, with a population of 909,048 within the city's adminis ...

and

Benevento Benevento (, , ; la, Beneventum) is a city and '' comune'' of Campania, Italy, capital of the province of Benevento, northeast of Naples. It is situated on a hill above sea level at the confluence of the Calore Irpino (or Beneventano) and t ...

towards Bari to take ship for the

Holy Land The Holy Land; Arabic: or is an area roughly located between the Mediterranean Sea and the Eastern Bank of the Jordan River, traditionally synonymous both with the biblical Land of Israel and with the region of Palestine. The term "Ho ...

. Ottone dedicated himself to their help and to accommodate them founded the hospital of San Giacomo (Saint James). In 1120 he decided to enter upon the life of a

and withdrew into seclusion close to the church of

Saint Peter ) (Simeon, Simon) , birth_date = , birth_place = Bethsaida, Gaulanitis, Syria, Roman Empire , death_date = Between AD 64–68 , death_place = probably Vatican Hill, Rome, Italia, Roman Empire , parents = John (or Jonah; Jona) , occupa ...

, now known as ''San Pietro dei Reclusiis'', and built a small cell where he prayed, kept vigil, did penance and fasted. He also dug out a tomb for himself, to remind himself continually that death was close. The reputation of sanctity quickly spread around him and many miraculous happenings were reported. Ottone died on 23 March 1127.

Cult

Ottone Frangipane is the patron saint of the city of Ariano Irpino and of the

. He also shares the dedication of

Ariano Irpino Cathedral Ariano Irpino Cathedral, formerly Ariano Cathedral ( it, Duomo di Ariano or ''Ariano Irpino'', ''Cattedrale di Santa Maria Assunta''), is a Roman Catholic cathedral in Ariano Irpino (formerly ''Ariano di Puglia''), in the province of Avellino, Cam ...

. He is also venerated in the village of Castelbottaccio in the

Molise it, Molisano (man) it, Molisana (woman) , population_note = , population_blank1_title = , population_blank1 = , demographics_type1 = , demographics1_footnotes = , demographics1_title1 = , demographics1_info1 ...

, of which he is the patron saint. The ''

Roman Martyrology The ''Roman Martyrology'' ( la, Martyrologium Romanum) is the official martyrology of the Catholic Church. Its use is obligatory in matters regarding the Roman Rite liturgy, but dioceses, countries and religious institutes may add duly approved ...

'' set his feast on 23 March.

Paul Guérin Paul Guérin (8 March 1830 – 23 June 1908) was a French priest, professor of philosophy, writer and encyclopedist. He was gifted as a compiler, and is best known for being the author of the series '' Les Petits Bollandistes: vie des saints'', w ...

(a cura di), ''Vie des Saints des Petits Bollandistes'', Parigi, Bloud et Barral editori, 1876, tomo III, p. 607. In Ariano he is also commemorated on the octave of the

Assumption Assumption, in Christianity, refers to the Assumption of Mary, a belief in the taking up of the Virgin Mary into heaven. Assumption may also refer to: Places * Assumption, Alberta, Canada * Assumption, Illinois, United States ** Assumption To ...

. Soon after his death his body was carried in procession to Ariano Cathedral and was buried there. In 1220, in the time of Frederick II, for fear of Saracen raids his remains were translated to Benevento. (In the ''Synodicon Diocesanum Sanctae Beneventanae Ecclesiae'' of 1686 it is reported that the

relics In religion, a relic is an object or article of religious significance from the past. It usually consists of the physical remains of a saint or the personal effects of the saint or venerated person preserved for purposes of veneration as a tang ...

of Saint Ottone Frangipane were preserved in the parish church of San Pietro at Montemiletto). The most important miracle recorded of Ottone took place in around 1180, when the Saracens of

Lucera Lucera ( Lucerino: ) is an Italian city of 34,243 inhabitants in the province of Foggia in the region of Apulia, and the seat of the Diocese of Lucera-Troia. Located upon a flat knoll in the Tavoliere Plains, near the foot of Daunian Mountain ...

who were besieging Ariano were struck down by a rain of

pebble A pebble is a clast of rock with a particle size of based on the Udden-Wentworth scale of sedimentology. Pebbles are generally considered larger than granules ( in diameter) and smaller than cobbles ( in diameter). A rock made predomina ...

s by the intercession of the saint, who appeared among the clouds. To commemorate this event the Arianese built the church of Santa Maria della Ferma. Among others who received miracles by the intercession of Ottone was Saint

Elzéar of Sabran Elzéar of Sabran, T.O.S.F., Baron of Ansouis, Count of Ariano, was born in the castle of Saint-Jean-de-Robians, near Cabrières-d'Aigues in Provence, southern France, in 1285. He died in Paris, France, on September 27, 1323. He was a ...

, who became Count of Ariano and is now venerated as its joint patron saint. Particularly noted is the vow made by the Arianese in 1528: Ariano was gripped by the plague and inhabitants turned to Saint Ottone to be freed of it. Tradition relates that the saint saved the city from plague on other occasions. In art his attributes are the monastic habit, a sword and a

scourge A scourge is a whip or lash, especially a multi-thong type, used to inflict severe corporal punishment or self-mortification. It is usually made of leather. Etymology The word is most commonly considered to be derived from Old French ''escorgie ...

Notes and references

Sources

*A.D’Agostino, ''Sant'Ottone Frangipane'' - Ariano, Stab. Tip. Appulo Irpino, 1892. *B.A.Grasso, ''Sant'Ottone Frangipane nella storia e nella leggenda'' - Ariano, Stab. Tip. Appulo Irpino, 1901. *F.De Stasio-D. Minelli, ''I Santi Patroni di Ariano e le Sante Spine'' - Marigliano, 1982

External links

Sant’Ottone Frangipane

{{DEFAULTSORT:Frangipane, Ottone Medieval Italian saints 12th-century Christian saints 1040 births 1127 deaths People from Ariano Irpino Benedictine monks Benedictine saints