Gualfardo of Verona
Encyclopedia
Saint Gualfardo of Verona (or Wolfhard of Augsburg) (1070–1127) was a Swabia
n artisan, trader, and hermit
who lived around Verona
. A hagiographical vita (biography) was composed, according to the Bollandists, within decades of his death, probably towards the end of the twelfth century. In the early sixteenth century he was venerated as the patron saint
of the harnessmakers' guild
at Verona.
Gualfardo was born in Augsburg
, the chief city of Swabia at the time. In 1096 he was on a pilgrimage
—German
Wallfahrer means pilgrim, whence his Italian
name—from Augsburg "with some journeyman merchants", according to his vita. He stopped in Verona, where he lived for a time with a journeyman, though he was a master harnessmaker
by trade. Of this brief period his vita says: In eodem vero loco beatissimus Gualfardus in sellarum exercitio (nam optimus sellator erat) parvo tempore moratus (in that very place the most blessed Gualfardo worked on saddles [for the best saddler he was] but for a short time). He eventually settled in a dense forest on the Adige
not far from Verona. There he lived for twenty years before he was found by hunters, who brought him back to Verona. He established a shop near the abbey of San Salvatore, but during a flood he left the city again and built a hermit's cell near the church of Santa Trinità in the countryside nearby. Until his death he was well sought after by the Veronese for his miracles. He does not seem to have been an especial aid to travelers, though his love of solitude did not interfere with his hospitality to city-dwellers, who also brought him food. He died at Curte-Regia near Verona in 1127.
Swabia
Swabia is a cultural, historic and linguistic region in southwestern Germany.-Geography:Like many cultural regions of Europe, Swabia's borders are not clearly defined...
n artisan, trader, and hermit
Hermit
A hermit is a person who lives, to some degree, in seclusion from society.In Christianity, the term was originally applied to a Christian who lives the eremitic life out of a religious conviction, namely the Desert Theology of the Old Testament .In the...
who lived around Verona
Verona
Verona ; German Bern, Dietrichsbern or Welschbern) is a city in the Veneto, northern Italy, with approx. 265,000 inhabitants and one of the seven chef-lieus of the region. It is the second largest city municipality in the region and the third of North-Eastern Italy. The metropolitan area of Verona...
. A hagiographical vita (biography) was composed, according to the Bollandists, within decades of his death, probably towards the end of the twelfth century. In the early sixteenth century he was venerated as the patron saint
Patron saint
A patron saint is a saint who is regarded as the intercessor and advocate in heaven of a nation, place, craft, activity, class, clan, family, or person...
of the harnessmakers' guild
Guild
A guild is an association of craftsmen in a particular trade. The earliest types of guild were formed as confraternities of workers. They were organized in a manner something between a trade union, a cartel, and a secret society...
at Verona.
Gualfardo was born in Augsburg
Augsburg
Augsburg is a city in the south-west of Bavaria, Germany. It is a university town and home of the Regierungsbezirk Schwaben and the Bezirk Schwaben. Augsburg is an urban district and home to the institutions of the Landkreis Augsburg. It is, as of 2008, the third-largest city in Bavaria with a...
, the chief city of Swabia at the time. In 1096 he was on a pilgrimage
Pilgrimage
A pilgrimage is a journey or search of great moral or spiritual significance. Typically, it is a journey to a shrine or other location of importance to a person's beliefs and faith...
—German
German language
German is a West Germanic language, related to and classified alongside English and Dutch. With an estimated 90 – 98 million native speakers, German is one of the world's major languages and is the most widely-spoken first language in the European Union....
Wallfahrer means pilgrim, whence his Italian
Italian language
Italian is a Romance language spoken mainly in Europe: Italy, Switzerland, San Marino, Vatican City, by minorities in Malta, Monaco, Croatia, Slovenia, France, Libya, Eritrea, and Somalia, and by immigrant communities in the Americas and Australia...
name—from Augsburg "with some journeyman merchants", according to his vita. He stopped in Verona, where he lived for a time with a journeyman, though he was a master harnessmaker
Saddler
Saddler is both a skilled trade and a surname. As a trade, it refers to the occupation of making saddles.Saddler may refer to* Osmund Saddler* Sandy SaddlerAlso* Saddler, reporting name for the R-16 missile...
by trade. Of this brief period his vita says: In eodem vero loco beatissimus Gualfardus in sellarum exercitio (nam optimus sellator erat) parvo tempore moratus (in that very place the most blessed Gualfardo worked on saddles [for the best saddler he was] but for a short time). He eventually settled in a dense forest on the Adige
Adige
The Adige is a river with its source in the Alpine province of South Tyrol near the Italian border with Austria and Switzerland. At in length, it is the second longest river in Italy, after the River Po with ....
not far from Verona. There he lived for twenty years before he was found by hunters, who brought him back to Verona. He established a shop near the abbey of San Salvatore, but during a flood he left the city again and built a hermit's cell near the church of Santa Trinità in the countryside nearby. Until his death he was well sought after by the Veronese for his miracles. He does not seem to have been an especial aid to travelers, though his love of solitude did not interfere with his hospitality to city-dwellers, who also brought him food. He died at Curte-Regia near Verona in 1127.