Tegulus
Encyclopedia
Saint Tegulus is venerated as a member of the legendary Theban Legion
, whose members were led by Saint Maurice
in the 3rd century. The center of Tegulus' cult is at Ivrea
.
Veneration for Saint Tegulus actually arose at the end of the 10th century, when during the episcopate of Blessed Warmondus (Varmondo), the saint's relics were discovered in a sepulcher situated a short distance away from Ivrea. The relics were solemnly translated
to the cathedral of Ivrea within the city walls, and placed in the chapel of San Giacomo. The relics were later translated, with those of Saint Bessus
, to the chapel of Santissimo Sacramento.
According to local tradition, Tegulus survived the decimation
of his Legion but was eventually beheaded
on the road to Montaldo Dora, at the spot later occupied by the chapel of Santa Croce, which was built in the 14th century.
However, nothing certain was known of him, though he may have been a local Christian martyred for his faith during the last imperial persecutions; his cult was linked with that of the Theban Legion to lend antiquity to a local saint about whom nothing was really known. Damiano Pomi theorizes that the relics may have been the remains of a soldier that were mistaken for those of a Christian martyr. The name Tegulus, as Pomi also theorizes, may in fact not have been his name at all, but a reference to the building material commonly used for Roman graves: the tegula or tile.
Theban Legion
The Theban Legion figures in Christian hagiography as an entire Roman legion — of "six thousand six hundred and sixty-six men" — who had converted en masse to Christianity and were martyred together, in 286, according to the hagiographies of Saint Maurice, the chief among the Legion's...
, whose members were led by Saint Maurice
Saint Maurice
Saint Maurice was the leader of the legendary Roman Theban Legion in the 3rd century, and one of the favorite and most widely venerated saints of that group. He was the patron saint of several professions, locales, and kingdoms...
in the 3rd century. The center of Tegulus' cult is at Ivrea
Ivrea
Ivrea is a town and comune of the province of Turin in the Piedmont region of northwestern Italy. Situated on the road leading to the Aosta Valley , it straddles the Dora Baltea and is regarded as the centre of the Canavese area. Ivrea lies in a basin that, in prehistoric times, formed a great lake...
.
Veneration for Saint Tegulus actually arose at the end of the 10th century, when during the episcopate of Blessed Warmondus (Varmondo), the saint's relics were discovered in a sepulcher situated a short distance away from Ivrea. The relics were solemnly translated
Translation (relics)
In Christianity, the translation of relics is the removal of holy objects from one locality to another ; usually only the movement of the remains of the saint's body would be treated so formally, with secondary relics such as items of clothing treated with less ceremony...
to the cathedral of Ivrea within the city walls, and placed in the chapel of San Giacomo. The relics were later translated, with those of Saint Bessus
Saint Bessus
Saint Bessus, sometimes Besse, is venerated as a member of the legendary Theban Legion, whose members were led by Saint Maurice and were martyred for their Christian faith in the 3rd century. Except for St. Maurice's cult, veneration for Bessus enjoyed a wider popularity than those associated...
, to the chapel of Santissimo Sacramento.
According to local tradition, Tegulus survived the decimation
Decimation (Roman Army)
Decimation |ten]]") was a form of military discipline used by officers in the Roman Army to punish mutinous or cowardly soldiers. The word decimation is derived from Latin meaning "removal of a tenth".-Procedure:...
of his Legion but was eventually 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 road to Montaldo Dora, at the spot later occupied by the chapel of Santa Croce, which was built in the 14th century.
However, nothing certain was known of him, though he may have been a local Christian martyred for his faith during the last imperial persecutions; his cult was linked with that of the Theban Legion to lend antiquity to a local saint about whom nothing was really known. Damiano Pomi theorizes that the relics may have been the remains of a soldier that were mistaken for those of a Christian martyr. The name Tegulus, as Pomi also theorizes, may in fact not have been his name at all, but a reference to the building material commonly used for Roman graves: the tegula or tile.