St Senzius 25th May

St Senzius was a priest and evangelist who also worked as a shoe maker.  He came to Spoleto in the 5th century and lived as a hermit on a hill named "Cicianus" (Colle Ciciano).  He killed a dragon on the summit and established a baptistery on the spot: this may have been on the site of the ex-church of San Michele Arcangelo (see Walk III): an inscription (17th century) reproduced an ancient one that recorded a baptismal font here in 428 (in the year of the consuls Flavius Constantius Felix and Flavius Taurus).  [Where is the inscription ?] 

When St Senzius died (apparently of natural causes, although he is often referred to as a martyr), the people of Spoleto erected a basilica over his grave and celebrated his feast there each year.  This suggests that there was a church in Spoleto dedicated to St Senzius at the time that the legend was written: this was probably the church now known as San Salvatore, which was certainly known as SS Concordio e Senzia (see St Concordius) in the 12th century.  The relics of these saints are preserved in an urn (1727) with an identifying inscription that could reproduce an older one.  [Where is the reliquary ??]

St Senzius is also venerated at Blera, south of Viterbo.