| Saint Fridianus | |
|---|---|
Fridianus draws the new course of the river Serchio. Chapel of the Cross, Basilica di San Frediano, Lucca. |
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| Born | Ireland |
| Died | 588 |
| Honored in | Roman Catholic Church |
| Feast | March 18 |
Saint Fridianus (Italian: San Frediano, also Frigidanus, Frigidian, Frigianu), Irish prince and hermit, fl. 6th century.
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Fridianus is venerated as a Christian saint of the 6th century and as a bishop of Lucca. The Basilica di San Frediano in Lucca is dedicated to him.
Tradition makes him a prince of Ireland[1] who became a hermit on Mount Pisano, near Lucca, after going on pilgrimage to Rome. The Catholic Encyclopedia states: “Remarkable for sanctity and miracles was St. Fridianus (560-88), son of Ultonius, King of Ireland, or perhaps of a king of Ulster (Ultonia), of whom in his "Dialogues" (III, 10) St. Gregory the Great relates a miracle.”[2]
Tradition states that he was appointed bishop of Lucca by the pope.[1] During his episcopate, Lucca was attacked by the Lombards.[1] He may have founded a group of eremetical canon priests;[1] these canons merged with the Canons Regular of the Lateran in 1507.[1]
Fridianus had a church built on the spot of the present basilica, dedicated to St. Vincent, a martyr from Zaragoza, Spain. When Fridianus was buried in this church, the church was renamed Ss. Frediano and Vincenzo. The church is now a major landmark for people to come see.