St Felician (24th January)

St Felician is one of the earliest Umbrian evangelists and martyrs of whom there are reliable historical records.   His legend was written in the 6th century and has come down to us in copies made from the 9th century.

St Felician was born in 169 in Forum Flaminii (modern San Giovanni Profiamma - see the page "around Foligno").  Pope Victor I ordained him as the first bishop of Forum Flaminii, with powers to ordain other bishops in central Italy.   He seems to have been a formidable preacher and to have spread Christianity  throughout a wide area that included Foligno, Assisi, Perugia, Spello, Trevi, Bevagna, Norcia and Spoleto.  He ordained St Valentine as Bishop of Terni.

St Felician seems to have attracted the opposition of the Roman authorities across the region.  The Emperor Decius passed through Fulginiae in 251 after his victory over the Persians.  He ordered that St Felician should be imprisoned and taken to Rome.  A young woman named Messalina was recognised as a Christian when she visited him in prison, and was clubbed to death. (Her feast day is 19th January.)

St Felician, who was now  92 years old, died on the way to Rome "ad Montem Rotundum" (near the round mountain), only a few kilometres from the city.  He was buried near Ponte Cesare, on the site of the present Duomo. 

The Atti family subsequently built the Castrum Sancti Feliciani on the site of the grave.  The relics of St Felician, which were then preserved in the castrum, became the object of local pilgrimage until Bishop Dietrich of Metz stole them in 970. 

The castrum became the episcopal seat in the 11th century.  The newly important settlement became known as  "Civitas Sancti Feliciani" and then as Foligno.  St Felician remains its patron saint: a fine statue of him (illustrated above) is taken in procession each 24th January.