Domninus of Fidenza
Encyclopedia
Saint Domninus of Fidenza is an Italian Catholic saint. According to tradition, he died in 304 AD and was a native of Parma
. The cathedral at Fidenza
(a town once called Borgo San Donnino) is dedicated to him. The Hieronymian Martyrology commemorates Domninus, but does not include any further information about him, and his feast day is cited as occurring on October 9. He is not commemorated in the martyrologies of Bede
, Ado
, Notker
, or the Parvum Romanum.
His legend states that Domninus was Chamberlain
to Emperor Maximian
and keeper of the royal crown, and converted to Christianity
, thereby incurring the emperor's wrath. Pursued by imperial forces, he rode through Piacenza
holding a cross. He was caught and beheaded
on the banks of the Stirone
, outside of Fidenza, or the Via Aemilia
. It is recounted that Domninus picked up his severed head
and placed it on the future site of the cathedral of San Donnino.
at Fidenza, rebuilt in the twelfth century, includes a sculpted band sub-divided into five scenes representing the life of the saint. The sculptures are attributed to the school of Benedetto Antelami
.
In art, Domninus is depicted in military
attire, and holds the palm of martyrdom. Domninus' cult was popular in Northern Italy
. He has been from earliest times invoked against rabies
; his Passio records that after water and wine was blessed and the saint invoked, anyone who drank this would be cured from rabies.
Parma
Parma is a city in the Italian region of Emilia-Romagna famous for its ham, its cheese, its architecture and the fine countryside around it. This is the home of the University of Parma, one of the oldest universities in the world....
. The cathedral at Fidenza
Fidenza
Fidenza is a town and comune in the province of Parma, Emilia-Romagna region, Italy. It has around 24,000 inhabitants. The town was renamed Fidenza in 1927, recalling its Roman name of Fidentia; before, it was called Borgo San Donnino.-History:...
(a town once called Borgo San Donnino) is dedicated to him. The Hieronymian Martyrology commemorates Domninus, but does not include any further information about him, and his feast day is cited as occurring on October 9. He is not commemorated in the martyrologies of Bede
Bede
Bede , also referred to as Saint Bede or the Venerable Bede , was a monk at the Northumbrian monastery of Saint Peter at Monkwearmouth, today part of Sunderland, England, and of its companion monastery, Saint Paul's, in modern Jarrow , both in the Kingdom of Northumbria...
, Ado
Ado (archbishop)
Ado , archbishop of Vienne in Lotharingia, belonged to a famous Frankish house, and spent much of his middle life in Italy. He held his archiepiscopal seat from 850 till his death on the 16 December 874. Several of his letters are extant and reveal their writer as an energetic man of wide...
, Notker
Notker of St Gall
Notker the Stammerer , also called Notker the Poet or Notker of Saint Gall, was a musician, author, poet, and Benedictine monk at the Abbey of Saint Gall in modern Switzerland...
, or the Parvum Romanum.
His legend states that Domninus was Chamberlain
Chamberlain (office)
A chamberlain is an officer in charge of managing a household. In many countries there are ceremonial posts associated with the household of the sovereign....
to Emperor Maximian
Maximian
Maximian was Roman Emperor from 286 to 305. He was Caesar from 285 to 286, then Augustus from 286 to 305. He shared the latter title with his co-emperor and superior, Diocletian, whose political brain complemented Maximian's military brawn. Maximian established his residence at Trier but spent...
and keeper of the royal crown, and converted to Christianity
Christianity
Christianity is a monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus as presented in canonical gospels and other New Testament writings...
, thereby incurring the emperor's wrath. Pursued by imperial forces, he rode through Piacenza
Piacenza
Piacenza is a city and comune in the Emilia-Romagna region of northern Italy. It is the capital of the province of Piacenza...
holding a cross. He was caught and beheaded
Decapitation
Decapitation is the separation of the head from the body. Beheading typically refers to the act of intentional decapitation, e.g., as a means of murder or execution; it may be accomplished, for example, with an axe, sword, knife, wire, or by other more sophisticated means such as a guillotine...
on the banks of the Stirone
Stirone
The Stirone is a small river of Emilia-Romagna in north Italy, a left tributary of the Taro, which it joins shortly before the latter enters the Po....
, outside of Fidenza, or the Via Aemilia
Via Aemilia
The Via Aemilia was a trunk Roman road in the north Italian plain, running from Ariminum , on the Adriatic coast, to Placentia on the river Padus . It was completed in 187 BC...
. It is recounted that Domninus picked up his severed head
Cephalophore
A cephalophore is a saint who is generally depicted carrying his or her own head; in art, this was usually meant to signify that the subject in question had been martyred by beheading....
and placed it on the future site of the cathedral of San Donnino.
Veneration
His relics are enshrined at the cathedral of Fidenza, adding some plausibility to the tradition that he suffered martyrdom in this region. The ancient basilicaBasilica
The Latin word basilica , was originally used to describe a Roman public building, usually located in the forum of a Roman town. Public basilicas began to appear in Hellenistic cities in the 2nd century BC.The term was also applied to buildings used for religious purposes...
at Fidenza, rebuilt in the twelfth century, includes a sculpted band sub-divided into five scenes representing the life of the saint. The sculptures are attributed to the school of Benedetto Antelami
Benedetto Antelami
Benedetto Antelami was an Italian architect and sculptor of the Romanesque school, whose "sculptural style sprang from local north Italian traditions that can be traced back to late antiquity" Little is known about his life. He was probably originally from Lombardy, perhaps born in Val d'Intelvi...
.
In art, Domninus is depicted in military
Military
A military is an organization authorized by its greater society to use lethal force, usually including use of weapons, in defending its country by combating actual or perceived threats. The military may have additional functions of use to its greater society, such as advancing a political agenda e.g...
attire, and holds the palm of martyrdom. Domninus' cult was popular in Northern Italy
Northern Italy
Northern Italy is a wide cultural, historical and geographical definition, without any administrative usage, used to indicate the northern part of the Italian state, also referred as Settentrione or Alta Italia...
. He has been from earliest times invoked against rabies
Rabies
Rabies is a viral disease that causes acute encephalitis in warm-blooded animals. It is zoonotic , most commonly by a bite from an infected animal. For a human, rabies is almost invariably fatal if post-exposure prophylaxis is not administered prior to the onset of severe symptoms...
; his Passio records that after water and wine was blessed and the saint invoked, anyone who drank this would be cured from rabies.