Nicasius of Sicily
Encyclopedia
Nicasius of Sicily (also known as Nicasio Burgio, Nicasius de Burgo, Nicasio Camuto de Burgio, Nicasius Martyr, Nicasius of Jerusalem) (ca. 1135–1187) is venerated as a martyr
in the Catholic Church.
He was a member of the Knights Hospitaller
. His feast day is July 1. Born in Sicily
-perhaps Palermo
- to the Kameti (or Camuto) family (later known as de Burgio) in the twelfth century, he joined the Order as a knight with his brother Ferrandino. They answered the call of Roger des Moulins and travelled to the Holy Land
.
He assisted in the defense of Acre, but was captured and beheaded
there in 1187. Alternatively, another tradition claims he was captured during the battle of Hattin
and was decapitated in the presence of Saladin
after refusing to convert to Islam
.http://home.att.net/~ilsiciliano/page35_st_nicasius.htm
dedicated to him was extant in 1305 in the church of Saint Peter in Trapani
. However, the point of origin for the cult of Saint Nicasius seems to have been Caccamo
–which officially declared him patron of the city on May 31, 1625.http://home.att.net/~ilsiciliano/page35_st_nicasius.htm The priest Vincent Venuti in his Discorso storico-critico (1762) writes:
Martyr
A martyr is somebody who suffers persecution and death for refusing to renounce, or accept, a belief or cause, usually religious.-Meaning:...
in the Catholic Church.
He was a member of the Knights Hospitaller
Knights Hospitaller
The Sovereign Military Hospitaller Order of Saint John of Jerusalem of Rhodes and of Malta , also known as the Sovereign Military Order of Malta , Order of Malta or Knights of Malta, is a Roman Catholic lay religious order, traditionally of military, chivalrous, noble nature. It is the world's...
. His feast day is July 1. Born in Sicily
Sicily
Sicily is a region of Italy, and is the largest island in the Mediterranean Sea. Along with the surrounding minor islands, it constitutes an autonomous region of Italy, the Regione Autonoma Siciliana Sicily has a rich and unique culture, especially with regard to the arts, music, literature,...
-perhaps Palermo
Palermo
Palermo is a city in Southern Italy, the capital of both the autonomous region of Sicily and the Province of Palermo. The city is noted for its history, culture, architecture and gastronomy, playing an important role throughout much of its existence; it is over 2,700 years old...
- to the Kameti (or Camuto) family (later known as de Burgio) in the twelfth century, he joined the Order as a knight with his brother Ferrandino. They answered the call of Roger des Moulins and travelled to the Holy Land
Holy Land
The Holy Land is a term which in Judaism refers to the Kingdom of Israel as defined in the Tanakh. For Jews, the Land's identifiction of being Holy is defined in Judaism by its differentiation from other lands by virtue of the practice of Judaism often possible only in the Land of Israel...
.
He assisted in the defense of Acre, but was captured 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...
there in 1187. Alternatively, another tradition claims he was captured during the battle of Hattin
Battle of Hattin
The Battle of Hattin took place on Saturday, July 4, 1187, between the Crusader Kingdom of Jerusalem and the forces of the Ayyubid dynasty....
and was decapitated in the presence of Saladin
Saladin
Ṣalāḥ ad-Dīn Yūsuf ibn Ayyūb , better known in the Western world as Saladin, was an Arabized Kurdish Muslim, who became the first Sultan of Egypt and Syria, and founded the Ayyubid dynasty. He led Muslim and Arab opposition to the Franks and other European Crusaders in the Levant...
after refusing to convert to Islam
Islam
Islam . The most common are and . : Arabic pronunciation varies regionally. The first vowel ranges from ~~. The second vowel ranges from ~~~...
.http://home.att.net/~ilsiciliano/page35_st_nicasius.htm
Veneration
An altarAltar
An altar is any structure upon which offerings such as sacrifices are made for religious purposes. Altars are usually found at shrines, and they can be located in temples, churches and other places of worship...
dedicated to him was extant in 1305 in the church of Saint Peter in Trapani
Trapani
Trapani is a city and comune on the west coast of Sicily in Italy. It is the capital of the Province of Trapani. Founded by Elymians, the city is still an important fishing port and the main gateway to the nearby Egadi Islands.-History:...
. However, the point of origin for the cult of Saint Nicasius seems to have been Caccamo
Caccamo
Caccamo is a town and comune located on the Tyrrhenian coast of Sicily in the Province of Palermo.-History:The official founding of Caccamo was not until 1093, when the Normans began building the castle on a rocky spur overlooking a cliff. The castle itself is actually now being slowly converted...
–which officially declared him patron of the city on May 31, 1625.http://home.att.net/~ilsiciliano/page35_st_nicasius.htm The priest Vincent Venuti in his Discorso storico-critico (1762) writes:
...now because of the dominions that the Burgio family had near Caccamo. Or because of devotion, which the Cabrera family exercised toward St. Nicasius, or because of both reasons, I figure that, little by little, some what of a cult toward our St Nicasius of Jerusalem, went in Caccamo...http://home.att.net/~ilsiciliano/page35_st_nicasius.htm