San Gavino
Encyclopedia
Saint Gavinus is a Roman Catholic saint
who is greatly celebrated in Sardinia
, Italy
, as one of the Martiri turritani ("Martyrs of Turris"), along with his companions Saints Protus
and Januarius.
He was probably a Roman
soldier martyr
ed for the Christian
faith during the persecution of Diocletian
in 304 in the city of Porto Torres
, according to the legend on the orders of the governor (preside) of Sardinia
and Corsica
, a certain Barbarus.
The well-known Romanesque
church of Gavoi
is dedicated to him, as is the town of San Gavino Monreale
, and a number of communes in Corsica.
The 11th-century Basilica of San Gavino in Porto Torres, Sassari
, is also dedicated to this saint. It was built by Comita or Gomida, Judge of Torres, and contains the relics, discovered in 1614, not only of Saint Gavinus, but also of his companions, Saints Protus and Januarius.
His feast day is given in the Roman Martyrology
as 30 May.
Saint
A saint is a holy person. In various religions, saints are people who are believed to have exceptional holiness.In Christian usage, "saint" refers to any believer who is "in Christ", and in whom Christ dwells, whether in heaven or in earth...
who is greatly celebrated in Sardinia
Sardinia
Sardinia is the second-largest island in the Mediterranean Sea . It is an autonomous region of Italy, and the nearest land masses are the French island of Corsica, the Italian Peninsula, Sicily, Tunisia and the Spanish Balearic Islands.The name Sardinia is from the pre-Roman noun *sard[],...
, Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
, as one of the Martiri turritani ("Martyrs of Turris"), along with his companions Saints Protus
Protus
Protus IP Solutions Inc. provides software-as-a-service communication tools designed for small to medium businesses. Protus IP Solutions was founded in 1997 and is a privately-held company based in Ottawa, Canada. Protus has approximately 200 employees and over 500,000 subscribers worldwide...
and Januarius.
He was probably a Roman
Ancient Rome
Ancient Rome was a thriving civilization that grew on the Italian Peninsula as early as the 8th century BC. Located along the Mediterranean Sea and centered on the city of Rome, it expanded to one of the largest empires in the ancient world....
soldier martyr
Martyr
A martyr is somebody who suffers persecution and death for refusing to renounce, or accept, a belief or cause, usually religious.-Meaning:...
ed for the Christian
Christian
A Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, an Abrahamic, monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as recorded in the Canonical gospels and the letters of the New Testament...
faith during the persecution of Diocletian
Diocletian
Diocletian |latinized]] upon his accession to Diocletian . c. 22 December 244 – 3 December 311), was a Roman Emperor from 284 to 305....
in 304 in the city of Porto Torres
Porto Torres
Porto Torres is a comune and city in northern Sardinia, in the Province of Sassari.It is situated on the north coast about 25 km east of the Gorditanian promontory , and on the spacious bay of the Gulf of Asinara.-History:...
, according to the legend on the orders of the governor (preside) of Sardinia
Sardinia
Sardinia is the second-largest island in the Mediterranean Sea . It is an autonomous region of Italy, and the nearest land masses are the French island of Corsica, the Italian Peninsula, Sicily, Tunisia and the Spanish Balearic Islands.The name Sardinia is from the pre-Roman noun *sard[],...
and Corsica
Corsica
Corsica is an island in the Mediterranean Sea. It is located west of Italy, southeast of the French mainland, and north of the island of Sardinia....
, a certain Barbarus.
The well-known Romanesque
Romanesque architecture
Romanesque architecture is an architectural style of Medieval Europe characterised by semi-circular arches. There is no consensus for the beginning date of the Romanesque architecture, with proposals ranging from the 6th to the 10th century. It developed in the 12th century into the Gothic style,...
church of Gavoi
Gavoi
Gavoi is a comune in central Sardinia , part of the province of Nuoro, in the natural region of Barbagia. It overlooks the Lake of Gusana.-History:...
is dedicated to him, as is the town of San Gavino Monreale
San Gavino Monreale
San Gavino Monreale is a comune in the Province of Medio Campidano in the Italian region Sardinia, located about 45 km northwest of Cagliari, and roughly halfway between the latter and the town of Oristano....
, and a number of communes in Corsica.
The 11th-century Basilica of San Gavino in Porto Torres, Sassari
Sassari
Sassari is an Italian city. It is the second-largest city of Sardinia in terms of population with about 130,000 inhabitants, or about 300,000 including the greater metropolitan area...
, is also dedicated to this saint. It was built by Comita or Gomida, Judge of Torres, and contains the relics, discovered in 1614, not only of Saint Gavinus, but also of his companions, Saints Protus and Januarius.
His feast day is given in the Roman Martyrology
Roman Martyrology
The Roman Martyrology is the official martyrology of the Roman Rite of the Roman Catholic Church. It provides an extensive but not exhaustive list of the saints recognized by the Church.-History:...
as 30 May.