Rasso
Encyclopedia
Saint Rasso of Andechs (ca. 900-953) was a Bavaria
n count and military leader, pilgrim
, and saint
. He was the count (Graf) of Dießen-Andechs
, leading the Bavarians against invading Magyars in the tenth century. No contemporary Vita of Rasso has survived and various legends arose around his cult in the late Middle Ages
. However, there is no reason to doubt that there existed a count named Rasso who fought against the Magyars in the 950s.
As a middle-aged man, he went on pilgrimage to the Holy Land
and Rome
, where he collected relics, returning to found a Benedictine abbey
at Wörth, later named Grafrath
after him.
He was a large man. When his relics were exhumed in 1468, it was determined that he was some 2 meters (6 ft 6 in) tall, although it was previously thought that he was even taller, since the size of his actual grave was 2 and a half meters.
and pilgrimage church (Wallfahrtskirche) of St. Rasso at Grafrath received many visitors during the Middle Ages and afterwards; records of the miracles attributed to him between the years 1444 and 1728 consist of 12,131 entries.
In 955, the relics that Rasso had brought from Rome and the Holy Land to his monastery at Wörth had been transferred to Andechs Abbey to preserve them from the ravages of the Magyars.
Bavaria
Bavaria, formally the Free State of Bavaria is a state of Germany, located in the southeast of Germany. With an area of , it is the largest state by area, forming almost 20% of the total land area of Germany...
n count and military leader, pilgrim
Pilgrim
A pilgrim is a traveler who is on a journey to a holy place. Typically, this is a physical journeying to some place of special significance to the adherent of a particular religious belief system...
, and saint
Saint
A saint is a holy person. In various religions, saints are people who are believed to have exceptional holiness.In Christian usage, "saint" refers to any believer who is "in Christ", and in whom Christ dwells, whether in heaven or in earth...
. He was the count (Graf) of Dießen-Andechs
Andechs
The Benedictine abbey of Andechs is a place of pilgrimage on a hill east of the Ammersee in the Landkreis of Starnberg in Germany, in the municipality Andechs. Andechs Abbey is famed for its flamboyant Baroque church and its brewery...
, leading the Bavarians against invading Magyars in the tenth century. No contemporary Vita of Rasso has survived and various legends arose around his cult in the late Middle Ages
Middle Ages
The Middle Ages is a periodization of European history from the 5th century to the 15th century. The Middle Ages follows the fall of the Western Roman Empire in 476 and precedes the Early Modern Era. It is the middle period of a three-period division of Western history: Classic, Medieval and Modern...
. However, there is no reason to doubt that there existed a count named Rasso who fought against the Magyars in the 950s.
As a middle-aged man, he went on pilgrimage to the Holy Land
Holy Land
The Holy Land is a term which in Judaism refers to the Kingdom of Israel as defined in the Tanakh. For Jews, the Land's identifiction of being Holy is defined in Judaism by its differentiation from other lands by virtue of the practice of Judaism often possible only in the Land of Israel...
and Rome
Rome
Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
, where he collected relics, returning to found a Benedictine abbey
Abbey
An abbey is a Catholic monastery or convent, under the authority of an Abbot or an Abbess, who serves as the spiritual father or mother of the community.The term can also refer to an establishment which has long ceased to function as an abbey,...
at Wörth, later named Grafrath
Grafrath
Grafrath is a municipality in the district of Fürstenfeldbruck in Bavaria in Germany. It takes its name from Saint Rasso , who was a count who founded a Benedictine abbey here in the 10th century.- References :...
after him.
He was a large man. When his relics were exhumed in 1468, it was determined that he was some 2 meters (6 ft 6 in) tall, although it was previously thought that he was even taller, since the size of his actual grave was 2 and a half meters.
Veneration
The healing shrineShrine
A shrine is a holy or sacred place, which is dedicated to a specific deity, ancestor, hero, martyr, saint, daemon or similar figure of awe and respect, at which they are venerated or worshipped. Shrines often contain idols, relics, or other such objects associated with the figure being venerated....
and pilgrimage church (Wallfahrtskirche) of St. Rasso at Grafrath received many visitors during the Middle Ages and afterwards; records of the miracles attributed to him between the years 1444 and 1728 consist of 12,131 entries.
In 955, the relics that Rasso had brought from Rome and the Holy Land to his monastery at Wörth had been transferred to Andechs Abbey to preserve them from the ravages of the Magyars.
External links
- Saints of May 17 Rasso von Andechs „Rasso wahrscheinlich älter“ – aktuelle Wertung von Ungereimtheiten der Quellen (Dr. Ernst Meßmer ist auch Author der beiden Rasso-Monografien, die bei der Deutschen Nationalbibiothek unter dem Stichwort Rasso verzeichnet sind) „Der heilige Rasso kämpft gegen die Ungarn“, Fresken in der Stiftskirche Andechs von Johann Baptist ZimmermannJohann Baptist ZimmermannJohann Baptist Zimmermann was a German painter and a prime stucco plasterer during the Baroque.Zimmermann was born in Gaispoint, Wessobrunn. He and his brother Dominikus Zimmermann were descended from an artist family of the Wessobrunner School...
, 1751–1754