| Saint Olivia | |
|---|---|
Olivia with the saints Elias, Venera and Rosalia, 13th century |
|
| Martyr | |
| Born | Sicily |
| Died | 9th century North Africa |
| Honored in | Roman Catholic Church |
| Feast | June 10 |
| Patronage | music; until 1624, one of the patronesses of Palermo |
Saint Olivia, according to the legend, was the beautiful daughter of a noble Sicilian family. She is supposed to have lived in the 9th century. When she was 13 years old she was kidnapped by and taken as a slave to Tunis. Impressed by her virtue and beauty her abductors permitted her to live as a hermitess in a cave.
Before 1624 Palermo had four patron saints, one for each of the four major parts of the city. They were Saint Agatha, Saint Christina, Saint Nympha, and Saint Olivia.
Saint Olivia is the patron saint of music, and her feast day is June 10.