HolyPersons andHolyPlaces 209
present at Mass—the hagiographer Giovanni among them—saw the lamps
around his tomb miraculously lighted during the offertory. In the enthusi-
asm, several blind received their sight again.^194 Similar marvels happened at
the tomb of Saint Peter of Verona in Milan.^195 At the tomb of Saint Pelle-
grino Laziosi in Forlı`, the custodian, Vitale de’ Avanzi, observed that people
came as much to see miracles as to honor the saint. He had placards describ-
ing the cures made up and posted near the shine.^196 At Bologna and Siena,
city statutes assured the safety of pilgrims to the local shrines and guarded the
inviolability of wills drawn up in those holy places.^197 Local clergy provided
encouragement and publicity in their shrine sermons.^198 The vernacular life
of Saint Omobono of Cremona was probably originally such a panegyric.^199
The devout included aristocrats as well as commoners. At the shrine of Saint
Ambrogio Sansedoni, Ser Giunta of Sant’Egidio, one of the Nine who gov-
erned the commune of Siena, was cured of his sore throat as he stood along
with the plebeians.^200 The saints were great levelers.^201
As diverse as the lives of the communal saints were the local rituals and
practices at their shrines. The blessed Bona of Pisa was especially receptive
to petitions made by locals with bare feet and dressed in sackcloth—recalling
her own garb as a serving girl.^202 At the tomb of Saint Simone of Collazone,
the best results came from kneeling and rubbing the afflicted part of the
body on the tomb.^203 Healing power was physical and tangible. Brusca of
Giano came to Saint Simone for a cure of her paralyzed hand. She put it
through the opening in the shrine that allowed pilgrims to touch the reli-
quary inside. On touching it, she felt a ‘‘wind’’ pass through her hand; draw-
ing it out, she found it healed.^204 Bishop Riccardo of Trivento, the guardian
of the tomb of Saint Odo of Novara, was obliging. In serious cases he had
the tomb opened and applied the saint’s incorrupt hand to the afflicted part.
Berarduccia di Oderisco di Pietro received such a ministration on the feast
of Saint Nazarius in June of 1240. She was cured of a fistula on her jaw.^205
Contact could be more indirect. Friends brought a demoniac from Poggica-
vallo, in the contado of Bologna, to the feast of the new city patron, Saint
- Giovanni of Orvieto,Vita [S. Petri Parentii],cc. 4 – 5 , esp. 5. 39 ,p. 97.
195 .Vita S[ancti] Petri Martyris Ordinis Praedicatorum, 5. 42 ,p. 706 (from Tommaso of Agni’s thirteenth-
century vita). - Vitale de’ Avanzi,Leggenda del beato Pellegrino, 167.
- Bologna Stat.ii( 1288 ), 6. 35 , 2 : 31 ; Siena Stat.i( 1262 ), 2. 47 – 48 , pp. 218 – 19.
- I find little evidence for sacramental confessions at the shrines. The acta of Saint Giovanni
Buono include two rare examples:Processus... B. Joannis Boni, 2. 9. 157 ,p. 811. - See, e.g., the closing exhortation, inVita di s. Omobono, 169 ; on which, see Bertoni, ‘‘Una vita di
S. Omobono,’’ 170 – 71. - Recupero of Arezzo,Summarium Virtutum, 14. 165 ,p. 229.
- As remarked by Golinelli, ‘‘Dal santo,’’ 33.
- E.g.,Vita [Sanctae Bonae Virginis Pisanae], 6. 68 – 71 ,p. 158.
- E.g.,Summarium Processus... B. Simonis, 2. 5 ,p. 122 ; 2 : 14 ,p. 126.
- Ibid., 2. 6 ,p. 123.
205 .Apographum Processus... B. Odonis,testis 24 , pp. 344 – 45 ; for another opening, see ibid., testis 63 ,
p. 349.