Petronius of Bologna: Making a Saint in Medieval and Renaissance Italy

SATURDAY 14 November 2026 –4.20pm for 4.30pm start Cross Street Chapel, Cross Street, Manchester M2 1NL Petronius of Bologna: Making a Saint in Medieval and Renaissance Italy ENGLISH On 4 October, Bologna celebrates two saints: St Petronius, the city’s patron saint, and St Francis of Assisi, the patron saint of Italy. This coincidence takes on particular significance in 2026, when the feast of St Francis returns as a national public holiday. But who was St Petronius, and how did he become a symbol of Bologna? A bishop of the city in the fifth century, Petronius was rediscovered in 1141, when his relics were found in the Basilica of Santo Stefano, known as the ‘Jerusalem of Bologna’. From that moment, his cult became increasingly intertwined with the city’s history and identity. Petronius became the protector of the Bolognese during wars against the German emperors, in territorial disputes, and even in traditions surrounding the foundation of the world’s oldest university. His importanc