| Saint Donatus of Fiesole | |
|---|---|
Madonna with Saints John the Baptist and Donatus of Fiesole (1475-83, Andrea del Verrocchio, Pistoia Cathedral) |
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| Bishop | |
| Born | Ireland |
| Died | 876 AD |
| Honored in | Roman Catholic Church |
| Major shrine | Fiesole Cathedral |
| Feast | October 22 |
| Attributes | depicted in the garb of a bishop with an Irish wolfhound at his feet; also shown pointing out a church to his deacon Andrew the Scot |
Saint Donatus (Donat, Donagh) of Fiesole was an Irish teacher and poet, and Bishop of Fiesole, about 829-876.
According to the Catholic Encyclopedia, in an ancient collection of the Vitae Patrum, of which an eleventh century copy exists in the Laurentian library of Florence, there is an account of the life of Donatus, which includes the following.
Donatus was born in Ireland, of a noble family. He was educated at Inis Cealtra on Lough Derg. About 816 he visited the tombs of the Apostles in Rome with his friend, Andrew the Scot. According to Christian tradition, on his journey northwards he was led by Divine Providence to the cathedral of Fiesole, which he entered at the moment when the people were grouped around their altars praying for a bishop to deliver them from temporal and spiritual evils. Raised by popular acclaim to the See of Fiesole, Donatus instituted a revival of piety and learning in the church over which he was placed. Donatus made Andrew his deacon.
He himself did not disdain to teach "the art of metrical composition". His Life of Saint Brigid is interspersed with short poems of his own composition. The best known of these is the twelve-line poem in which he describes the beauty and fertility of his native land, and the prowess and piety of its inhabitants. Donatus also composed an epitaph in which he alludes to his birth in Ireland, his years in the service of the princes of Italy (Lothair and Louis), his episcopate at Fiesole, and his activity as a teacher of grammar and poetry.
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