ON SS. NICHOLAS AND TRANUS
HERMITS IN SARDINIA.
CENT. IV
Notice from Dima Serpi and Philip Ferrari.
Nicholas, Hermit, in Sardinia (S.)
Tranus, Hermit, in Sardinia (S.)
D. P.
[1] The island of the Sards, as it is almost entirely alpine, so among the recesses of mountains offers the greatest convenience for exercising the eremitic life; the example of which is believed to have been brought there by S. Eusebius, Bishop of Vercelli, Eremitical institute in Sardinia born in Sardinia, as if he returned there from the second Thebaid, in the last of his place of exile changed four times with S. Lucifer Bishop of Cagliari companion of exile, by the permission of Julian the Apostate to be restored to his Episcopate. I have produced the Acts of S. Lucifer on the day XX of May; of S. Eusebius on I August our successors shall treat; meanwhile it appears from those produced there num. 40, that the Saints did not return immediately from Egypt into the West; (which is ascribed to S. Eusebius of Vercelli, but to ordering the most disturbed Churches of the East gave much labor; to make greater fruit, if they could have conducted the matter unanimously. But with Lucifer acting more rigidly, and wishing no communion with Bishops once polluted by Arian communion, however penitent and in doctrine Catholic; was born among the orthodox a schism at Antioch, where in place of S. Meletius, because he had been ordained by Arians, S. Paulinus Lucifer had ordained: which when the Alexandrian synod had not approved, and its decrees signed by his legate, more rightly would be ascribed to S. Lucifer) brought by Eusebius, neither could he reject, nor wished to receive; indignant he withdrew into his Sardinia. To have followed Eusebius there then, or afterwards to have come there, much less to have drawn a longer delay there, by no reason becomes probable: since he from Antioch hastening to Rome to render account of the Legation undertaken, by a much shorter way could have arrived there, than by sailing around Sicily turning aside into Sardinia, where to find Lucifer was, in denying communion with himself obstinate.
[2] embraced there SS. Nicholas and Tranus: More rightly therefore to S. Lucifer himself there surviving about eight years, that praise will be attributed; and his rather than Eusebius's disciples shall be said to have been the aforetitled Saints Nicholas and Tranus; if however of that time they truly were, which whence I should affirm or deny I do not have: only to hold dare I, that they flourished in exquisite sanctity, before the Saracens occupied the island, whose hidden bodies until the 13th century the invention in the year of Christ DCLXX. From this time therefore the bodies lay hidden, in the place where before they had lived and were buried and venerated, until the year MCCXVII. Then how they were found, Ludovicus Bishop of Civitates described, to whom all notice of the same Dimas Serpi attributes received, in the Chronicle of the Saints of Sardinia book 4 ch. 1 and the same inserting in the general Catalogue of Saints Philip Ferrari alleges the Tables of the Church of Civitates, the Bishop of Civitates wrote. so that at first glance to one considering the matter scarcely could any doubt seem, that to the diocese of that Church pertains, or at least neighboring to the same is the parish of Our Lady of the Holy Place, between Longonum and Templum, of which the last place commonly Tempiu, the Topographical map of Sardinia exhibits, under the name of Tempi in the Northern part of the island, to which from the Cape or Promontory Lugoderi or of Locus aureus is the name, XX m. p. from the sea.
[3] But who such in Sardinia? But where among the Sards shall we find a Civitatensian Episcopate? since he who more curiously than others composed a description of the island, to be inserted into the Blau Atlas, besides the Archbishops of Cagliari, Arborea, and Sassari, names only four Bishops; of Algar, Ampurias, Prosanense (for that Prosanensia is read is to be imputed to a typographical error) and Usellense; with omitted, whom Carolus a S. Paulo in Sacred Geography suggests, Phausianus or of Terra-nova, as already united to Empuriensi Orestagnano likewise to Castel-Aragonensi, or perhaps the Bosa whose city which to the aforesaid five Louis Moreri joins, in his great historical Dictionary recently published in French; to whom however not all faith I would dare to give. Whether perhaps for solving the knot it will help, that Bosa, not indeed closer to Locus-Sanctus than Terra-nova, Algar and Castle-Aragonense, but perhaps Episcopal earlier, is called Bosa-citta? than those three closer cities in the Topographical tables of Italy of year 1620 by John Anthony Magini published at Bologna and of year 1662 by John Blau reformed at Amsterdam, not simply Bosa, but Bosa-citta is written, as if City on the river Bosa? (for from this it has the name) and is it simply and as if by Antonomasia called the City by the Sards?
[4] This indeed or something similar would be necessary to think if true are the Civitatensian Tables that Ferrari alleges. Such a thing Ferrari seems to indicate. But I fear at times lest that good writer, having read the name of Ludovicus of Civitates, as an author; imagined to himself, that it follows, that in the archive of the Church subject to him a relation of this kind described is found, or to the same diocese pertain the Saints, and to his own Fasti are ascribed. Indeed in alleging Ecclesiastical Tables, so various and uncertain is Ferrari, that with difficulty you would divine, what by the name of Tables he understands; nor is rarely detected to name never seen, What if the Civitatensian from Apulia, nor anywhere existing. Meanwhile vehemently I incline to suspect that Ludovicus to have been Civitatensian of old Marsicus in Capitanata of Apulia Bishop, by Honorius III as the supreme Lord of the Island, sent there in year MCCXVII in aid of B. (perhaps Beatrice or another having a name beginning with B according to the custom of the age) Judgeess of Cagliari and Arborea, whose rights the Pisans had invaded, of the whole island the supreme Dominion affecting, by right (as they wished) to themselves through the Roman Pontiffs two hundred years before granted.
[5] Indeed is found of that Lady, who herself also of Massa in Liguria Marchioness she writes, there sent by Honorius 3 as Legate, a letter with Rainald in the Annals num. 90 through which she suggests that fear ought to be, lest those who to Blasius Archbishop of Sassari, in the obsequy of the Apostolic See once coming to Cagliari, because he was believed by them to be the Legate of the Apostolic See, brought many injuries and threats of death wickedly, when they were not constituted in any strength; permit no Nuncio or also other Legate of the Roman See henceforth, who is not Pisan, to perform their offices among them, when they are in the citadel of strength rooted, and on the watchtower of pride among themselves most firmly founded, Wherefore, she says, venerable Lord and most holy Father, by that charity which is Christ, by which you are held powerfully to succor those violently oppressed; send your Nuncio, a man certainly honest and likewise discreet, an execrator of avarice, and a lover of charity and justice, who may subtly investigate &c. To such prayers we can believe Ludovicus was sent; while Cardinal Ugolinus composes the matter at Pisa, and with the restitution obtained of badly usurped rights absolves the excommunicated.
[6] Then truly it would have been permitted to Ludovicus himself, to visit the whole Island, in year 1217 or 27 did he translate the bodies found? and to translating the bodies of the Saints, which meanwhile had been found, attend; if however the matter was conducted in that, which with Dima Serpi in the margin by ciphers is noted as year 1217; and not rather ten years later, under Honorius's successor Gregory IX in the year (as in the text at length is written) one thousand two hundred twenty-seven; with Ubaldus a most powerful Pisan citizen attempting the same things, on account of which he was in year MCCXXIX struck with anathema. In year then MCCXXXVII the same Ubaldus, with the Principalities of Sassari and Gallura obtained by right of his wife Adelasia, in whose latter district was contained the Holy Place, acknowledged as supreme Lord of his dominion the Roman Pontiff, and was absolved from the bonds of excommunication: but for this Rainald says was sent the Chaplain of Pope Gregory Alexander: so that to be retained by us for Ludovicus is year MCCXVII or XXVII. This however perhaps more certainly could be discerned from Fara Bishop of Sassari, making memory of these Saints in the book on the affairs of Sardinia, not yet seen by us, and in the Notes of Ferrari and elsewhere often alleged.
[7] Thus far I had written, about to render in Latin from Dima what he from Ludovicus Civitatensis professes to have written; or also Bishop of Terra-nova? when I notice, that the same who twice in the margin and once in the context itself is called Bishop Civitatensis, in the same margin is called once Ludovicus Bishop of Terra-nova. This city indeed, set on the Eastern side of the island, is much closer to Templum above named, than on the Western shore Castle Aragonense, and much more than further toward the south receding on the same Western shore Algar and Bosa. Hither altogether applies Ferrari in the Notes where Templum he describes a town not obscure of the Phausianese diocese between Sassari, a city once Episcopal and Phausania or Terra-nova thence XL m. p. thence XX, within the Mountains: for who would not think this to be the diocese from whose tables he says to have those Saints? It remains therefore that I leave to the Sards to be judged what Church should come by the name of Civitatensis. Would that! as Italia sacra Ferdinand Ughelli, Notice of the Sicilian Churches Roccus Pirrhus, Gallia Christiana the Sammarthani, the Theatre of the Spanish Aegidius Davila, so let someone unfold the Sardinian Episcopal Catalogues, ancient and new; for some before the Saracens, others after them, as cities, so cathedrals were. Much indeed would that matter have use for anyone wishing to touch on Sardinian matters: nor however can we hope it from elsewhere than from Sardinia, where perhaps enough for the matter of letters is, if for those contending about the Primacy there were also enough of concord. For I heard Ughellus excusing the strifes of Islanders, on account of which to him already old there was not the soul of the same which about Italia he had done also for Sicily and Sardinia for those demanding to obey: and how difficult it is for such to make satisfaction, Bolland learned in illustrating S. Agatha, having experienced as querulous the Messanese equally as the Panormitans.
[8] Meanwhile from that whoever Ludovicus and of whatever City Bishop, Dima writes, Describes the place of their anchoresis and burial that SS. Nicholas and Tranus constituted for themselves a habitation between Logonium and Templum, in a place in Sardo tongue therefore called Logu santu, where to the Mother of God Virgin they dedicated an oratory; to which since on account of their merits both in life and after death by miracles becoming famous (for they were also buried there) great concourse from every side was made, three little villages were collected there, under the names of SS. Nicholas, Tranus and Quiricus. And little villages indeed now are none, but survive three churches so named, to which the Gallurese and all Templars are wont with much devotion to flock: and the invention made in year 1227. separately however is established, that to the church of the Holy Place, on the day of its dedication, flocks whatever there is of mortals in Gallura, Monte-acuto, and the whole Anglonium. He adds the same Civitatensis, that many to the aforesaid Saints were disciples followers of the same institute; of whom however no memory survives. Finally he subjoins, that in the year one thousand two hundred twenty-seven appeared the Queen of the heavens (to whom those Saints had been while they lived most devoted) to a certain religious person; and taught her the place where the holy bodies of theirs were to be found; found however they buried in the church of the mountain, having the name of S. Mary of the Holy Place.
[9] Thus far Dima from Ludovicus: who further seems to add of his own; that, In the Church of S. Mary of the holy place on account of the great miracles which God was working there, by the merits of the Queen of the Angels and of those Saints, Pope Honorius II, who sat one century before the revelation and aforesaid invention, sent his Legate Cardinal Accimonensem, by name John, who consecrated the aforesaid church, and by Apostolic authority constituted many Indulgences for those about to visit it: as also I, says Dima, visited it, and judged it to be held one of the more venerable of this kingdom. Ciacconius mentions some John, whom Honorius II for himself made Cardinal Bishop of Ostia, in the year MCXXV. long since dedicated by John the Cardinal 100 years before. Oldoinus the most recent enricher of Ciacconius adds, that the rumor of this sanctity, while he was still general Prior of the Camaldolese wilderness, having crossed the borders of the Apennines, came to Constantine King of Sardinia, and his wife Marchusa: who when from John they had obtained a colony of his Monks, with a monastery founded in Sardinia they augmented it with many wealths and privileges. Hence it becomes likely that John, already made Cardinal, by whose dexterity and prudence always for performing the offices of the Roman curia Honorius used, willingly undertook the burden of the Apostolic Legation in Sardinia, that by the same labor he might visit his sons there once.
[10] But it must be noticed, that the King is called Constantine, in what way the aforesaid Judgeess B, with Rainald in the margin and in the Index, is called Queen; from the usage namely of the vulgar, How are the Judges of the island called Kings? calling by such a title the Judges, constituted by the Pisans, conquerors of the island, through those places, where the Saracens had had their Kings, although they themselves did not write themselves as such nor were they written by the Pisans; and under the Romans, until the coming of the Saracens, the island had no Kings. In Spain, where the Prefects of the Moors had arrogated to themselves the title of King, only by name subject to their Miramolinus Emperor in Africa; by the same reason induced the Regal name, also to their conquerors Aragonian and Castilian Kings passed; whence there so many almost are counted kingdoms, in what way they look toward Africa illustrious cities, successively snatched from the Saracens: and hence so many now titles are added to the Kings of the Spains, whom more briefly and more significantly Catholic Kings of the Spains and the Indies we call.