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St. Reparata virgin & martyr
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October 8th marks the feast dedicated to the virgin and martyr St. Reparata, patron saint of the Florentines. In the year 406, the city of Florence found itself besieged for the very first time in 500 years of history. After passing the Alps, the barbarian Ostragoth hordes, commanded by King Radagaisus, arrived at the walls of Florence on their way south from the forests of the north. They set siege to the city in the hopes of starving it into surrender, after which they could sack it, cross the Arno and slowly wend their way down to Rome.

The besieged population, fortified by the words of their bishop Zenobius, managed to resist until the arrival of the Roman armies. When Radagaisus heard that Roman troops had attacked his men on the plain of Florence, he decided to move his army down from the hills near Fiesole, where it was encamped, and descend to the plain in their aid. On his way down the Mugnone Valley, he was overpowered and killed near “mons regis”, the Montereggi of today. This easy victory over the Ostrogoth King took place on August 23rd 406, but the city decided to celebrate its liberation on October 8th, the day dedicated to the commemoration of the martyrdom of St. Reparata, a Palestinian virgin who, like St. Miniato, was killed during the persecution enacted by Decius in 3 A.D.

The Saint apparently appeared on the hills behind Fiesole while the Imperial general Stilicho was defeating the invader Radagaisus and his pagan Goths.




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