The essay analyses the cult of St. Cresci and its origins. St. Cresci is considered to be one of the companions of St. Miniato, and it is believed he was martyred ‘sub Decio’ in the 3rd century. St. Cresci’s legend must be interpreted in the context of the Florentine hagiographic production of the 11th century, when the local clergy tried to resuscitate old and long forgotten cults of saints whose relics they possessed. The paper argues that the legend of St. Cresci was ‘invented’ to be opposed to that of St. Miniato. Indeed in the 11th century Ildebrando, bishop of Florence, strongly promoted the cult of Minias in order to support his claims on the lands of the newly founded monastery. It was after this that cathedral’s canons, in opposition with their bishop, proposed the martyrial figure of St. Cresci; the cult of which got a great importance under the Medici, and especially during the reign of Cosimo III.
University of Florence, Italy
Chapter Title
Eziologia di una leggenda. Ipotesi sul culto fiorentino di san Cresci compagno di san Miniato
Authors
Anna Benvenuti
Language
Italian
DOI
10.36253/978-88-5518-295-9.05
Peer Reviewed
Publication Year
2021
Copyright Information
© 2021 Author(s)
Content License
Metadata License
Book Title
La Basilica di San Miniato al Monte di Firenze (1018-2018)
Book Subtitle
Storia e documentazione
Editors
Francesco Salvestrini
Peer Reviewed
Number of Pages
396
Publication Year
2021
Copyright Information
© 2021 Author(s)
Content License
Metadata License
Publisher Name
Firenze University Press
DOI
10.36253/978-88-5518-295-9
ISBN Print
978-88-5518-294-2
eISBN (pdf)
978-88-5518-295-9
eISBN (epub)
978-88-5518-296-6
Series Title
Fragmentaria. Studi di storia culturale e antropologia religiosa
Series ISSN
2975-1217
Series E-ISSN
2975-1225