ON BL. JULIAN CESARELLO, OF THE ORDER OF FRIARS MINOR, AT VALLE IN ISTRIA,
BEFORE THE YEAR 1367.
CommentaryJulian Cesarello, of the Order of Minors, at Valle in Istria. (B.)
BY I. D. B.
[1] The fortunes of Blessed Julian are unknown. In Istria, about nine miles from the city of Rovigno, beside the road by which one goes to the town of Dignano and from there to the city of Pola, is situated a castle whose name is Valle, built many years ago in the Roman manner, yet not very populous in citizens; for they number one thousand five hundred. Near the little town toward the east, at half a mile, rises a hill planted with foliage, on whose summit in former times was built a monastery dedicated to St. Michael. There in the fourteenth century Blessed Julian, called Cesarello, a professed priest of the seraphic order, made an end of living by a death precious in the Lord; whom from his death the people numbered among the blessed and pursued with public cult. Of whom the Franciscan Martyrology published at Venice in the year 1879 says thus: At Valle in Istria, of blessed Julian, confessor. Why he is announced on this day, however, is in doubt. For no documents survive about him, either of the day or year in which he departed from earth to heaven, or of the devout deeds by which he obtained among his contemporaries a great fame of holiness, or of the parents from whom he sprang; for those who would have Julian himself assigned to the family Cesarel, or more correctly Cusaril, which at that time flourished among the more noble of the little town of Valle, have acted as diviners from the surname given him. Nor is more to be found in the other chroniclers of the seraphic order, not even in the Rev. Fr. Antonio Maria da Vicenza, who in the year 1871 published at Venice a little book of 70 pages entitled thus: Il castello di Valle nell' Istria e el B. Giuliano Cesarello. He spent indeed, as is plain to one reading, much effort in illustrating the life of Blessed Julian, but with unhappy fortune. For in the little work we come upon both many things which seem foreign to the blessed man, and some documents by which the zealous piety of the people of Valle toward their patron is commended, but nothing from which we may learn certain things about the blessed man himself. Harassed, then, by this poverty, it remains only for us to treat with the Rev. Fr. Antonio of the posthumous glory of Blessed Julian.
[2] His tomb was held in honor among the people of Valle, On the hill of which above, in the twelfth century, Camaldolese monks built a monastery to the Lord and to St. Michael, in which they remained intent on the divine service at least until the year 1315; but before the ninety-fifth year of the same century, going out from there, they handed it over to the brothers of the Order of Minors; for in this year 1395 it was numbered among the convents of the custody of Istria, which is part of the province of Dalmatia. Perhaps this series of years which flowed between 1315 and 1395 can be shortened. For Fr. Antonio adduces a certain little work by the author Vergottin, entitled Breve saggio d'istoria antica e moderna della citta di Parenzo Venice 1796., from which indeed we are taught Cf. Da Vicenza, op. cit., p. 28. that in the year 1755 in the parish church of the town of Valle an ancient altar sacred to Blessed Julian was demolished, in which were found the seals of the lord Giovanni Sordello; and he held the see of the church of Parenzo from the year 1328 to 1367. Therefore, if the distinguished Vergottin, by the documents he brought forward, produced sure credit for his assertion, it can be contended that St. Julian died some years before 1367 with such fame of holiness that an altar was dedicated to him not only in the church of St. Michael, but also in the town itself. Blessed Julian lay buried for a long time in the church of St. Michael, held in such esteem among the people that not even the Friars Minor, when they moved elsewhere from that convent before the year 1540, were permitted to carry the sacred clay with them. And so, from the departure of the Friars, that precious treasure remained as it were in a vast solitude, protected by insufficient guard. Hence it came into the mind of the people of Parenzo, who are neighbors of the people of Valle, to steal these relics for themselves Ibid., p. 46.. And at first indeed the matter turned out favorably for them. For, having crossed the Canale di Leme by a happy course, they had already escaped in flight to half a mile, when, wearied by the journey, to take fresh courage they laid down the sacred relics. But when they wished to continue the journey begun, who protected him from theft. that precious treasure was found to be of such weight that it could not be lifted from the ground; and the thieves themselves, suffused with shame, are said to have stuck to the ground, until the clergy with the people came from the town of Valle, who carried back to their own seat the sacred relics, lifted from the earth with no labor. This theft seems to have been attempted before the year 1564; for at that time the festivity of the body of St. Julian recovered from plunder was kept. For the rest, the Rev. Fr. Antonio, with whom let the credit for the matter narrated remain, adduced no sure testimony of so great a miracle, except a stone which the natives are accustomed to show, by which is marked the place in which the sacred remains of Blessed Julian were snatched from the hands of the robbers by the people of the castle. By this fable, however, most widespread among the old hagiographers of the Middle Ages, I am led to believe that the people of Parenzo at some time attempted the wicked theft, but were prevented from their iniquitous counsel, the people of the castle having been warned in time. The relics of Blessed Julian were translated into the parish church The people of Valle, further, having experienced the wicked mind of their neighbors, carried the sacred relics into the parish church; where they remained enclosed in a wooden chest in the middle of the church until the year 1597. Then they were shut in a marble urn and placed behind the altar sacred to St. Julian. The festivity of this translation was kept annually on 29 September. For on that day, in the year 1597, the Most Rev. Lord Cesare de Nores, bishop of Parenzo, also consecrated the altar of St. Julian and three others in the parish building Ibid., p. 48..
[3] and raised in the year 1755. Laid away in this manner, the relics of St. Julian were kept until the year 1737, when the people of Valle, stirred by their piety toward the blessed patron, made a beginning of building a new altar in his honor, the memory of this resolve being transmitted on a stone which they placed at the bottom of the altar Ibid., p. 49.. But in carrying out the work rather long delays were drawn out; for only in the year 1749, the altar table having long since been completed, did they undertake the upper part of the altar. Then also they prepared in the middle part a receptacle, to which the relics of St. Julian might be carried at the opportune time. Six years having passed from then, and the construction of the whole altar having at length been finished, the most noble Lord Marco Ludovico Bembo earnestly asked the Most Rev. Lord Gasparo Negri, bishop of Parenzo, to come to the castle of Valle to celebrate the solemn translation of St. Julian. He, since, entangled in much business, he could not come, chose certain leading men, whom he commanded that this translation
should carry out. These, then, on 29 September of the year 1755, having executed the prelate's command, saw to it that this authentic record of the act was drawn up Ibid., p. 50–52..
In the name of the eternal God. Amen.
In the year from the nativity of our Lord Jesus Christ 1755, in the 2nd indiction, on Wednesday, the 5th of the month of November, in the XVIth year of the pontificate of our Most Holy Lord Benedict XIV, by divine providence pope.
By the present public instrument let it be evidently plain and known to all that, when the noble man the Lord Marco Bembo, Venetian patrician, had requested with humble insistence the Most Illustrious and Most Reverend Lord Gasparo de Nigris, bishop of Parenzo, count and lord of Orsera, etc., that he would deign to betake himself to the Castle of Valle, of the diocese of Parenzo, to the effect of translating and placing upon the marble altar, rebuilt and recently adorned through his care and diligence in the parish and collegiate church of the said castle, the body of Blessed Julian the confessor, the same Most Illustrious and Most Reverend Lord Bishop, occupied with arduous business, since he could not cross over there, specially chose and deputed for this the Most Rev. Lord Valentino Valentini, canon of the cathedral church of Parenzo and his vicar general in spirituals and temporals. Wherefore the same Most Rev. Lord Vicar General, obeying the commission and commands of his Most Illustrious and Most Reverend Lordship, having taken with him me, the undersigned episcopal chancellor, and the Rev. Lord Felice Sejano, priest of the parish church of the Castle of Orsera, betook himself to the place of Valle; where he was most courteously received with his retinue by the aforesaid noble man Marco Aloysio Bembo. On the day written above, then, about the first hour of the night, the aforementioned Most Rev. Lord Vicar, together with the Most Illustrious and Most Excellent Lord Andrea Venier, most worthy podestà of the same place, and also the respectable Lords Nicolò de Albertis, Lorenzo Pisani, judges, and Antonio Fioretti son of Andrea, syndic of the community of Valle, proceeded to the parish and collegiate church of the said Castle, and, having first made a brief prayer before the Most Holy Sacrament of the Eucharist, approached the marble urn placed behind the altar situated on the Epistle side of the high altar of the said church, and, the very reverend chapter of canons and the whole clergy standing around and meanwhile devoutly reciting the seven penitential psalms, commanded the workmen to lift the marble lid of the said urn; which done, he drew out the wooden chest covered with an iron grating, where the body of Blessed Julian rested, and reverently placed it upon the aforesaid altar dedicated in honor of Blessed Julian. Then, the nails having been pulled out and the iron grating which covered the said chest raised, there appeared the bones of the body of the aforesaid blessed confessor Julian; which were shown to all those standing by. But since a report had prevailed that in the aforesaid wooden chest, together with the bones or body of Blessed Julian, an arm of St. Andrew the apostle was preserved, before the relics and bones composing the body of Blessed Julian were drawn out and transferred into the monument, he commanded that each of the relics existing in the same chest be diligently examined by the Most Excellent Lord Antonio Masato, physician of the same place, to the effect of inspecting and revealing whether the aforesaid arm really existed; but a diligent search having been made, nothing else was found to be contained in it except the parts composing the body of Blessed Julian, nor was any other foreign relic found, nor did any sign or memorial of the arm of St. Andrew the apostle appear. Then the Most Rev. Lord, with the assistance of the aforesaid, of me the undersigned episcopal chancellor and of the Reverend Lord Felice Seiano, drew out from the aforenoted chest each and every one of the relics or bones of the aforesaid Blessed Julian, and, to the greater glory of God and the honor of his Blessed Julian the confessor, most devoutly placed and set them in the monument built upon that altar, and thereupon diligently closed the front part of that monument with crystal and secured it with various episcopal seals in wax of red color. These things having been thus accomplished, as is premised, and thanksgivings rendered to God with the singing of the hymn Te Deum, he departed, commanding me, the undersigned chancellor, to draw up a public instrument of the premises for the perpetual memory of the matter. The premises were done in the parish and collegiate church of the Blessed Virgin Mary of Monte Perino of the Castle of Valle, on the day, year, indiction and pontificate written above. There being present the Very Rev. Lords Giovanni de Nadalin, canon and parish priest, Giovanni Torre, scholasticus, Domenico Sanvincenti and Giuseppe Bicchiacchi, canons of the above-said church, and a great multitude of the people as witnesses.
I, Paolo Chiurco, Doctor of Sacred Theology, canon theologian of the church of Parenzo and chancellor of the Most Rev. Lord Gasparo de Nigris, bishop, was present at all the premises, and by command of the aforesaid Most Rev. Lord Vicar General wrote, confirmed, completed and reduced them to public form and secured them with the seal of the curia.
[4] Then some relics were set apart. On this occasion some relics were set apart and laid away in a little chest. The Most Rev. bishop granted leave to expose them in the church of Valle, this letter having been given Ibid., p. 53..
Gasparo de Nigris, by the grace of God and of the apostolic see bishop of Parenzo, count and lord of Orsera, etc.
We certify and attest to all that, on the occasion of the translation of the sacred body of Blessed Julian, confessor of the Order of Minors of St. Francis and protector of the Castle of Valle, of this our diocese of Parenzo, made by the Most Rev. Lord Valentini, canon of our cathedral, our vicar general specially delegated, there were brought to us some relics of the same body; from which we extracted a certain particle of the sacred bone, which we devoutly placed in a silver case, secured with crystal on the front part, well closed, tied with a silk cord of red color, and signed with our small seal in red Spanish wax, and we restored it to that church with the faculty of exposing it publicly in the said church to the veneration of the faithful whenever, what is to be observed being observed. In witness whereof, etc.
Given at Parenzo from our episcopal chancery on 16 March 1756.
Gasparo, bishop of Parenzo
Paolo Chiurco, Doctor of Sacred Theology, canon theologian, Episcopal chancellor.
The marble urn, in which the sacred relics were laid away for a hundred and fifty years, remained in its place until the year 1850 Ibid.. Then, the church having been enlarged, it was set apart behind the high altar, and the altar of St. Julian was placed against the wall.
[5] Some indications of cult. It remains for us to gather from the same little work the individual indications of veneration by which the people of Valle have testified their piety toward Blessed Julian. From the sixteenth century there had been instituted in the church of Valle a confraternity of St. Julian Ibid., p. 38., which flourished until the French dominion; then, its goods and possessions having first been plundered, it was suppressed. The likeness of the blessed man was seen painted on a panel hung at the high altar in the parish church; it was seen also in two rural churches, of which one was dedicated to the Nativity of St. Mary, the other to St. Nicholas Ibid., p. 40.; finally it adorned a parchment calendar Ibid., p. 37. elegantly written in the year 1570 for the use of the principal church. Three festivities of blessed Julian were kept in the year, namely 1 May, 4 July and 29 September Ibid., p. 42.; taking the opportunity of these, the neighboring peoples, making pilgrimage to his memorial Ibid., p. 42., called upon the blessed man in their vows at his altar, before which a lighted lamp hung. Of three bells also one was called by his name Ibid., p. 41.. There stood on a tower until the year 1856 a very large statue of St. Julian, which was then, when the tower was being restored, moved from its place, because it had been struck by lightning and diminished in its head, and in its place was set the sign of the cross, with the addition, however, of a little banner on which the name of St. Julian is inscribed Ibid., p. 54.. Finally, it was customary for the leading men of the city, who administered the commonwealth, to make memorial of their patron in the preamble of the statutes Ibid., p. 37..