Monte San Biagio
Saint Blaise: Life and Martyrdom
Saint Blaise was an Armenian physician who lived in the III and IV century in Sivas, in Lesser Armenia. He was appointed Archbishop of Sebastea and imprisoned by the Romans because of his Christian faith. During the trial, he refused to renounce his faith and was tortured with iron combs used for carding wool. Three years after the freedom of worship was granted in the Roman Empire, he was beheaded as a martyr. His veneration is celebrated on February 3rd.
The Biography of Saint Blaise
Very little is known about the life of Saint Blaise. The few details about his biography were passed down orally and then collected in hagiographies. In the Armenian synaxarion on February 10th, there is a brief summary of the saint's life. The oldest written reference to him is contained in the "Medicinales" of Aetius of Amida, from the VI century.
The Cult of Saint Blaise
The memory of Saint Blaise is celebrated on February 3rd. His body was laid to rest in the cathedral of Sebastea and later part of his remains were brought to Rome, but a storm stopped the navigation on the coast of Maratea. Here the faithful welcomed the urn containing the relics of the saint, and kept it in the Basilica of Saint Blaise, on Mount Saint Blaise. The chapel with the relics was then placed under the protection of the Royal Curia by King Philip IV of Asburgo in 1629 and has been popularly known as the Royal Chapel ever since.
Many places today claim to possess a part of the body of Saint Blaise, but this is partly due to the practice of simony, which consisted in the sale of false relics or of obscure saints with the same name.
The Relics of Saint Blaise
In several Italian locations, fragments of the body of Saint Blaise are preserved. In Bronte, in the Church of the Holy Trinity, there is a reliquary containing a phalanx of the saint. In Saint Blaise Platani, in honor of the patron saint of the city, small sweets called "Cuddrureddri" are prepared. Instead, in Casal di Principe, the saint is venerated with the opening of a sanctuary dedicated to him, where a relic of his hand bone is preserved.
In summary, Saint Blaise was an Armenian physician and martyr who lived in the III and IV century in Sivas, in Lesser Armenia. His life is told in few hagiographies and his cult is celebrated on February 3rd. His body was buried in Sebastea and part of his remains were brought to Rome, but a storm prevented navigation on the coast of Maratea where the relics of the saint are preserved. In several Italian locations, fragments of the body of Saint Blaise are preserved.
