| Saint Galgano Guidotti | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1148 Chiusdino, Siena, Italy |
| Died | 1181 Monte Siepe, Tuscany, Italy |
| Honored in | Roman Catholic Church |
| Canonized | 1185 by Pope Lucius III |
| Feast | 5 December |
Saint Galgano (true name: Galgano Guidotti; 1148 – December 3, 1181? but see below) is a Catholic saint from Tuscany.
He was born in Chiusdino, in the modern province of Siena, Italy, from Guidotto and Dionigia. His alleged date of death is December 3, 1181, now celebrated by the Roman Catholic Church, but other scholars assign it to November 30, 1180.
Galgano led a ruthless life in his early years, but later abandoned it in favour of a pious hermitage in the place now known as Rotonda di Montesiepi. To show his will to change his life he put his sword inside a stone at top of Montesiepi, thus changing the sword into a cross. The Sword in the stone of San Galgano can still be seen at the Rotonda at Montesiepi, near the ruins of San Galgano Abbey