ON BL. GUILIELMUS THE HERMIT,
IN THE DIOCESE OF COMO IN INSUBRIA.
11TH CENTURY.
HISTORICAL COLLECTION.
On the acts of his life and cult, from the Chronicle of Ballarinus, the Martyrology of Como, and the Episcopal Visitation.
Bl. Guilielmus the Hermit, in the diocese of Como in Insubria.
BY THE AUTHOR D. P.
The Chronicle of the city of Como among the Insubrians in a compendium and in the Italian tongue Franciscus Ballarinus set forth, and in the year MDCXIX published, a Citizen of Como, Doctor of Laws, Apostolic Protonotary, and Archpriest of Locarno. He in Part 3 chapter 1 treating of the men in the diocese of Como illustrious for sanctity, Warfare being dismissed he became a Hermit, page 181 has of Bl. Guilielmus, a Knight and Hermit, and these things of him collects: Bl. Guilielmus, originating from the Principality of Orange in Gaul, exercised warfare under the Emperor Henry the Fourth, and into the equestrian Order by the same merited by his virtue to be co-opted: but when the Emperor was excommunicated by Pope Gregory VII, warfare being dismissed he deserted the world, and betook himself into the valley called of St. James, of the district of Chiavenna: where the eremitic habit being assumed, when he had built himself a hut, he most holily instituted his life, occupied with divine praises and holy contemplations. But after, the space of several years being elapsed, he attained the term of his peregrination consummated by a blessed death, leaving after him the opinion of rare sanctity; with the greatest honor he was buried in a certain little church, and holily dead, about the year MLXX on the day XXVIII of May. Then his holy body was translated by the Bishop of Como Beltranus de Brossano, to a church dedicated under his name, in the same valley by the river Lirim: and there was painted his image as of a Soldier, equipped with all arms and sitting upon a horse, translated in the year 1391, and clothed over with the eremitic cowl: and in great veneration the holy body is held from the year MCCCXCI, in which that Translation was made, the second Sunday of May then concurring with the day VIII of the same month. But in the X year of his own century, by the command of Philippus Archintus Bishop of Como, his monument was opened by Joannes Petrus Paravicinus Archpriest of Chiavenna; and there were found in it holy Relics within a little casket, with authentic writings, rendering a certain testimony of the truth of so holy a body. But that church was again enlarged, and again in this century. and that precious treasure translated from the old burial to the greater altar, very sumptuously fabricated, by the same Archpriest as above, by the mandate of the same Bishop.
[2] Thus far Ballarinus, whose words into a briefer epitome the author of the Novum Comum Martyrology contracted, D. Primus Aloysius de Tattis, Presbyter of the Somaschan Congregation and the same the founder of the Annals of Novum Comum, in whose
Decade 2 book 3 about the year MLXXVII he treats of him, and only after very many years after him believes the Saint to have died: For his cult was chosen this day, on which the one of Gellone is venerated: then asked by letters he denied that he found what he could further add, unless it must be laboriously demonstrated what he has in the Annotata, by how many things this Guilielmus differs from William, from Duke of Aquitaine Monk of Gellone: whose Acts also on this day we gave. But to me it is probable, that, the miracles at the tomb of the dead one growing frequent, since the true day of death was unknown, nor perhaps was the one sufficiently distinguished from the other; in the time of Beltramus the Bishop there was chosen the same day, on which Guilielmus Monk and Confessor in some perhaps Gallican Martyrology had been found by the Presbyters, who then were counsellors to the Bishop of Como, more skilled in sacred matters than in histories, in that age almost obliterated. There was also one who opined (as far indeed as from Ballarinus we can understand) that this was the last Duke of Aquitaine, by St. Bernard reduced to the obedience of the true Pontiff, of whose crimes and penance those prodigious fables are feigned, which our Henschenius examined and discussed on February X, treating of the Great Guilielmus, nay also with the last Duke of Aquitaine, held the Patron and Founder of the Order of the Guilielmites in the diocese of Siena, to whom the same titles and all the same fables had been applied, which from several Guilielmi, conflated into one person, presuming ignorance had been able to fit together. Hence those verses, wrongly fitted to our Como stranger.
This Guilielmus was a Duke and the impious enemy of the Cross: But he gave conquered hands to Bernard. Before voracious, and a fierce soldier, now gentler than a lamb: Neither Mars, nor Death under the helmet, Life lies hid.
But just as the Great Guilielmus rests buried at Stabulum-Rhodis, so that last Duke of Aquitaine, however converted by St. Bernard, confused by someone he seems. and soon relapsed into crimes nothing lighter, at last (as we piously believe) penitent died and was entombed at St. James of Compostela in Galicia: which if it came to some notice of the Insubrians, knowing the valley of St. James to be with them, and in it some Guilielmus from Gaul, easily could they have confused both: but the more prudent did not confuse them, whom Ballarinus followed.
[3] Moreover the excommunication of Henry IV fell in the year of Pope Gregory IV [VII] of Christ MLXXVI, The cause of withdrawal from the court, wherefore either Ballarinus is to be corrected, asserting that for that cause Guilielmus departed from the court of Henry, and came to lead an eremitic life; or the year of death is to be changed, by constant (as is said) tradition received. But that this may be held, easily in the history of Henry will be found another and no lighter cause, which persuaded the withdrawal much sooner, namely the Schism introduced by the King in the year MLXI, when he by the sentence of the conventicle of Basel against Pope Alexander II had caused Cadolaus, Bishop of Parma, his Chancellor, to be ordained as Antipope. Then therefore secular warfare deserting Guilielmus, the spiritual having begun, and so for nine years a solitary lived, dying from this mortal life in the year of the Lord MLXX: which however I would not affirm, and have enough to refer his death to this XI century.
[4] The Author of the Martyrology suggests also that to those who wrote of Bl. Guilielmus are to be added the Bishops of Como, namely the aforenamed Philippus Archintus, The body visited by Bishops, from the year MDXCV to MDCXXI possessing that See; and Lazarus Caraffinus, ordained in the year MDCXXVI and in the year MDCLX still living; This one in the Catalogue of the Saints and Blessed, whose bodies rest in the city and diocese; that one in the Tablet of memorable things of the Church of Novum Comum. These things being read there, I asked by letters the Author of the aforesaid Martyrology, that if any Acts of the aforenamed Bishops were found, containing the memory of the Relics of St. Guilielmus visited by them, he would not be loath to communicate them. But he answered that they indeed were not found, but transmitted this relation of the most recent visitation, just as it from the Episcopal Register delivered R. D. Joannes Simon Franzonus the Episcopal Secretary, to whom it had been committed, Hieronymus Pizzala the Episcopal Notary attesting, that the transcript altogether agreed with the original Acts, to this tenor.
[5] In the year MDCLXXXII, on Thursday the XXIV of September, returning at ripe morning from the rigid sky of Campodolcino the Most Illustrious and Most Reverend D. Bishop of Como Carolus Cicerus, and most recently in the year 1682, with his DD. Visitors and family, by a journey no less rugged than by a brief ride, to the Church of St. Gulielmus, beside the way and beyond the bridge of the valley dismounting from his horse, the holy Body of Gulielmus there laid up with briefer prayers venerated: then mounting his horse to the Parochial church of St. James near, awaited by the people and Ecclesiastics he came, leaving there D. Joannes Simon Franzonus, Provost of St. Benedict, Visitor General, who in visiting found, as below, the holy body of Gulielmus (one arm excepted, which is kept in the church of St. James) in divers bones, laid up in a little wooden gilded casket, appearing from its anterior little window covered with glass, and decently within and without adorned, with a double opposed key in the upper part, which is guarded by the Ministrale, that is the Judge, of the Valley for the time being: likewise in some fragments, and dust, into which some bones are reduced, and in some torn cloths, sprinkled with the same dust, kept in another wooden little casket, under a double key which also is kept by the aforesaid Ministrale. The first little casket in the posterior part is inscribed with these words: To Divine Gulielmus Confessor, Lazarus Caraffinus Bishop of Como, of the year MDCXXVIII. And indeed by D. Bishop Caraffinus were approved the aforesaid Relics, and in that ark, given as a gift by the same to this Church, replaced, and the distribution of the keys by his mandate made.
[6] Both the aforesaid arks are kept in a greater wooden ark, within clothed with red silk and without painted: enclosed within one greater one, but since by reason of humidity, or the length of time the painting has almost vanished, with a double inscription hither and thither placed in the pointed upper part, it will be worthwhile to renew the same painting and inscriptions. This greater ark is closed with a triple key, of which two are guarded with the aforesaid Ministrale, but the third greater with the Venerable Parish-priest of St. James. under the greater altar. Moreover the same ark is kept under the altar of the greater altar, propped on every side by four little marble columns; closed with iron lattices all around, neighboring and most solidly interwoven, and intersecting one another; in whose lateral part at the horn of the Gospel a lattice likewise of iron, in the manner of a leaf, fortified with three keys, of which two are guarded by the double syndic of the Churches of St. James and St. Gulielmus, another iron being superimposed bound to a ring in the marble pavement of the altar, which is led over, and is closed transverse over the same lattice, and is fortified with a triple other key, of which two are kept with the Ministrale, and another with the Syndics.
[7] An ark of this kind is exposed to the public veneration of the faithful once in every three years, Every three years there is a great concourse. on the feast day of the same Saint occurring, with a guard of armed soldiers deputed by the Valley, for the time during which it stands exposed, the XXVIII of May, processions flowing together by most ancient custom with the Cross and the peoples of the whole Valley, as also a most frequent multitude from the neighboring places, for the cause of devotion to the veneration of this sacred pledge, by no means from so great a time diminished, that is from the year MLXX; in which (as by constant tradition is found) in a crypt, near and contiguous to the choir of the Church, at the horn of the Gospel buried the said St. Gulielmus is handed down. Of whose apotheosis however no monument is said to be extant: but that it was had, and preserved by the constant acclamation of the peoples, who from those times even to these for the cause of a vow had recourse to the Saint, not without the obtaining of most frequent graces and miracles. The altar is isolated, and of just measure built of white marbles: The Saint's altar and painting. to which there is an ascent by a triple step, situated in the chapel of the vaulted choir, of mason-work elaborated and painted hither and thither, and in the front within the cornice: in whose image, or painting impressed on canvas, at the left of the entrance, expressing the obsequies done for the servant of God, are read these words. St. Gulielmus was buried with the highest honor in this place about the year MLXX. The choir is fenced with an iron screen skilfully elaborated. Over against the altar perpetually burns a lamp with olive oil. Of it has care a custodian, stipendiated in about eight scudi of the money of the Region, proceeding from the fruits of a wood by right of the Church, which is left to it for usufruct.
[8] These things being noted the Visitor proceeds to observe certain defects in the same church, to be supplied by Episcopal care: which being omitted, from the Parish-priest of St. James, D. Jacobus Maculinus, on the day XI of February of the year MDCLXXXIII to similar inquiries of ours answering almost the same, moreover I add. The river Liris, other images likewise. dividing the church from the area spread before it large enough, is crossed there by a stone bridge; and in the lintel of the greater door are read sculptured these words, TO D. GULIELMUS THE HERMIT; but over the threshold of the smaller one at the side of the porch, thus it is noted: THE TEMPLE BUILT MDCXIII. Over the same greater door also is painted expressed the Saint on a horse, holding an equestrian banner in his hand; but over the smaller one, the same is seen, as under a hollow rock doing penance in the eremitic habit. The whole church is open in length XCIV geometric feet, broad XXX feet; but in the choir at the side of the Gospel is a chapel with a rude little altar (in which however Mass is not celebrated) and a small excavated sepulchre, where the Saint is said first to have been buried; and whence earth devoutly taken against various diseases, especially fevers, the earth of the sepulchre useful against fevers. is proved by manifold experience to be useful.