St Constantius (29th January)

St Constantius is listed under the above date in the Hieronymian Martyrology (5th century) and Perugia is given as his place of execution.  These bare facts were later elaborated, probably around the year 1310, when St Constantius was adopted as a patron saint of Perugia.

According to these late and unreliable traditions, St Constantius was the first bishop of Perugia and was martyred in the reign of the Emperor Marcus Aurelius (161 - 80 AD).  He was executed outside Trevi: a church (12th century) outside Porta del Cieco there (see the Trevi walk), which stood on the presumed site of the martyrdom, was demolished in 1890.  The author Virginia Ryan, who lived in Trevi, writes about her discovery of what seem to be the remains of this church in her garden in her book , "Where the Cypress Rises".

His body was recovered and buried at the site of the present church of San Costanzo outside Porta San Pietro.  His relics were apparently re-discovered there in 1781.

[St Constantius was also venerated at Orvieto, where an ancient church was dedicated to him.]