Saint Syrus of Genoa ( it, San Siro di Genova) (died around June 29, 381 AD) was a priest and later

bishop of Genoa The Archdiocese of Genoa ( la, Archidioecesis Ianuensis) is a Latin Church ecclesiastical territory or diocese of the Catholic Church in Italy. Erected in the 3rd century, it was elevated to an archdiocese on 20 March 1133. The archdiocese of Gen ...

during the fourth century AD.

Life

Born at Struppa, a neighborhood of

Genoa Genoa ( ; it, Genova ; lij, Zêna ). is the capital of the Regions of Italy, Italian region of Liguria and the List of cities in Italy, sixth-largest city in Italy. In 2015, 594,733 people lived within the city's administrative limits. As of t ...

, he had a reputation for holiness and zeal. He succeeded Saint Felix as

, having previously been parish priest at Saint Romulus (or "San Remo"). He died at an advanced age of natural causes and was buried in the city. He is the main patron of the city of Genoa.

Miracles

As a boy, Saint Syrus is reputed to have brought his pet blackbird back to life by means of his saliva. Later, walking with his father in the hills above, he wished that a boat making for port might be still, whereupon the wind died and the ship came to a halt as if at anchor. Asking his father for permission to go on board, St. Syrus expressed his wish the boat might land, whereupon the wind returned and the boat freely entered the harbor.Bent, J. Theodore. ''Genoa: How the Republic Rose and Fell'', 1881
/ref> Legend holds that the bishop was able to banish a Basilisk that dwelt in a well adjacent to the Church of the Twelve Apostles; a plaque on a nearby house recalls the miracle. This event is represented in a medieval bas relief on the portico arcade next to the church, as well as a fresco by

Carlone Carlone is a surname. Notable people with the surname include: * Alessio Carlone (born 1996), Belgian football player *Andrea Carlone (1626–1697), Italian painter *Carlo Carlone (1686–1775), Italian painter and engraver * Diego Francesco Carlon ...

in the apse.

Veneration

The Basilica of San Siro is one of the oldest churches in Genoa. It occupies the site of a former church originally dedicated to the twelve apostles. In later centuries, the church was renamed after St Syrus. Originally it was the cathedral of Genoa, but it stood outside of the original walls, and was vulnerable to attacks from Saracen pirates; the title of Cathedral was transferred to San Lorenzo. There is another church dedicated to San Siro, San Siro di Struppa, outside the city center.

Notes

References

San Siro di Genova
381 deaths 4th-century Italian bishops Italian saints Bishops of Genoa 4th-century Christian saints Year of birth unknown {{Italy-saint-stub