Hospitius
Encyclopedia
Saint Hospitius (died May 21, 581) was a French
recluse who, according to tradition, had been a monk
in his native Egypt
towards the beginning of the 6th century. He immigrated to Gaul
and retired to a dilapidated tower
, situated on the peninsula of Cap Ferrat
, a few miles east of Nice
.
The people of the environs frequently consulted him; he forewarned them on one occasion, about the year 575, of an impending incursion of the Lombards
. St Hospitius was seized by these raiders, but his life was spared. He worked a miracle
in favor of one of the warriors, who became converted, embraced the religious life, and was known personally to Saint Gregory of Tours
. It was from him that St Gregory, to whom we are indebted for the meagre details of the saint's life, learned of the austerities and numerous miracles of the recluse. St Hospitius foretold his death and was buried by his friend, Austadius, Bishop of Cimiez.
Saint Hospitius died at Cap Ferrat
(sometimes called Cap Saint-Sospis or Cap Saint-Hospice), near Villefranche-sur-Mer
, in the department of Alpes-Maritimes
.
, and San-Sospis.
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
recluse who, according to tradition, had been a monk
Monk
A monk is a person who practices religious asceticism, living either alone or with any number of monks, while always maintaining some degree of physical separation from those not sharing the same purpose...
in his native Egypt
Egypt
Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
towards the beginning of the 6th century. He immigrated to Gaul
Gaul
Gaul was a region of Western Europe during the Iron Age and Roman era, encompassing present day France, Luxembourg and Belgium, most of Switzerland, the western part of Northern Italy, as well as the parts of the Netherlands and Germany on the left bank of the Rhine. The Gauls were the speakers of...
and retired to a dilapidated tower
Tower
A tower is a tall structure, usually taller than it is wide, often by a significant margin. Towers are distinguished from masts by their lack of guy-wires....
, situated on the peninsula of Cap Ferrat
Cap Ferrat
Cap Ferrat is situated in Alpes-Maritimes département, in southeastern France. It is located in the commune of Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat.Saint Hospitius lived here as a recluse during the sixth century...
, a few miles east of Nice
Nice
Nice is the fifth most populous city in France, after Paris, Marseille, Lyon and Toulouse, with a population of 348,721 within its administrative limits on a land area of . The urban area of Nice extends beyond the administrative city limits with a population of more than 955,000 on an area of...
.
The people of the environs frequently consulted him; he forewarned them on one occasion, about the year 575, of an impending incursion of the Lombards
Lombards
The Lombards , also referred to as Longobards, were a Germanic tribe of Scandinavian origin, who from 568 to 774 ruled a Kingdom in Italy...
. St Hospitius was seized by these raiders, but his life was spared. He worked a miracle
Miracle
A miracle often denotes an event attributed to divine intervention. Alternatively, it may be an event attributed to a miracle worker, saint, or religious leader. A miracle is sometimes thought of as a perceptible interruption of the laws of nature. Others suggest that a god may work with the laws...
in favor of one of the warriors, who became converted, embraced the religious life, and was known personally to Saint Gregory of Tours
Gregory of Tours
Saint Gregory of Tours was a Gallo-Roman historian and Bishop of Tours, which made him a leading prelate of Gaul. He was born Georgius Florentius, later adding the name Gregorius in honour of his maternal great-grandfather...
. It was from him that St Gregory, to whom we are indebted for the meagre details of the saint's life, learned of the austerities and numerous miracles of the recluse. St Hospitius foretold his death and was buried by his friend, Austadius, Bishop of Cimiez.
Saint Hospitius died at Cap Ferrat
Cap Ferrat
Cap Ferrat is situated in Alpes-Maritimes département, in southeastern France. It is located in the commune of Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat.Saint Hospitius lived here as a recluse during the sixth century...
(sometimes called Cap Saint-Sospis or Cap Saint-Hospice), near Villefranche-sur-Mer
Villefranche-sur-Mer
Villefranche-sur-Mer is a commune in the Alpes-Maritimes department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region on the French Riviera.-Geography:...
, in the department of Alpes-Maritimes
Alpes-Maritimes
Alpes-Maritimes is a department in the extreme southeast corner of France.- History : was created by Octavian as a Roman military district in 14 BC, and became a full Roman province in the middle of the 1st century with its capital first at Cemenelum and subsequently at Embrun...
.
Veneration
St Hospitius is still venerated in the Diocese of Nice at the Cathedral of Saint Reparata. The Cathedral Church possesses a small bone of his hand; other relics are kept in the churches of Villefranche-sur-Mer, La TurbieLa Turbie
La Turbie is a commune in the Alpes-Maritimes department in southeastern France.-History:...
, and San-Sospis.