San Zeno di Montagna
San Zeno: the Moorish Bishop of Verona who won the people's hearts
San Zeno, also known as the "Moorish Bishop", was one of the first bishops of Verona from 362 to 371. Although much of his life is shrouded in legend, it is said that he was originally from Mauretania. San Zeno lived a life of austerity and simplicity, to the point of fishing for his own meal in the Adige river, and for this reason he became the patron saint of freshwater fishermen.
He was a learned and erudite person, who had been trained in the African school of rhetoric. It is said that he wrote numerous sermons, 16 long and 77 short, in which he refuted Arianism and confronted the still-popular paganism. His most famous sermon, the fifteenth, draws a parallel between the figure of Job and that of Christ.
The miracles of San Zeno
Devotional legends tell many miracles of San Zeno, some of which are truly extraordinary. One of them involves a ball game that San Zeno supposedly played with the Devil on the top of a mountain. The bet was that, in case of victory, the Devil had to bring a porphyry baptismal font from the entrance of the church to Rome. San Zeno won the game and the Devil was forced to carry the font.
Another miracle tells of how San Zeno cured the demon-possessed daughter of the magistrate Gallienus of Rhaetia and was given a precious crown as a gift. But the most extraordinary legend is the one told by Pope Gregory I, where there is talk of a sudden flooding of the Adige river that submerged the whole city of Verona up to the roofs of the churches. The waters reached the cathedral where the king had just married Princess Theodelinda, but they would suddenly stop, suspended on the door, so they could be drank but without invading the interior. This miracle determined the salvation of the Veronese, who were able to resist until the flood subsided.
The cult of San Zeno
The feast of San Zeno is set in the Martyrology on April 12th, but in the diocese of Verona it is celebrated on May 21st, the day of the translation of the body carried out by the saints Benignus of Malcesine and Carusius of Malcesine from the temporary burial in the Cathedral to the area of the current Basilica of San Zeno, which took place on May 21st, 807.
To San Zeno the Veronese believers have dedicated their Basilica of San Zeno, considered a masterpiece of Romanesque art. On the bronze panels of the portal, on the stone reliefs to the left and right of the door, and at the top of the porch, the life of San Zeno with his miracles is depicted. Inside the basilica there is the tomb of San Zeno, which still attracts many faithful people today.
His presence in the Basilica of San Zeno
San Zeno's presence in the basilica is extraordinary. Behind the great Pala of San Zeno by Andrea Mantegna, there is a statue of San Zeno, but what catches the attention is the strange presence of the beard and the absence of the little fish hanging from the pastoral staff. It is said that the elders of Verona have always seen the fish, but now it is no longer there. Perhaps it has worn away over the centuries, or perhaps it is a mystery of faith that only San Zeno can reveal.
In conclusion, San Zeno is a saint who won the hearts of the people of Verona, and his figure is still very present in the city. His legends and miracles are full of charm and mystery, and his basilica is a place where his presence can be felt.
