Saint Donatus of Fiesole
Encyclopedia
Saint Donatus of Fiesole was an Irish
teacher and poet, and Bishop of Fiesole, about 829-876.
, in an ancient collection of the Vitae Patrum, of which an eleventh century copy exists in the Laurentian library of Florence
, there is an account of the life of Donatus, which includes the following.
Donatus was born in Ireland, of a noble family. He was educated at Inis Cealtra on Lough Derg
. About 816 he visited the tombs of the Apostles in Rome
with his friend, Andrew the Scot
. According to Christian tradition, on his journey northwards he was led by Divine Providence
to the cathedral of Fiesole, which he entered at the moment when the people were grouped around their altars praying for a bishop to deliver them from temporal and spiritual evils. Raised by popular acclaim to the See of Fiesole, Donatus instituted a revival of piety and learning in the church over which he was placed. Donatus made Andrew his deacon.
in which he alludes to his birth in Ireland, his years in the service of the princes of Italy (Lothair
and Louis
), his episcopate at Fiesole, and his activity as a teacher of grammar
and poetry
.
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
teacher and poet, and Bishop of Fiesole, about 829-876.
Biography
According to the Catholic EncyclopediaCatholic Encyclopedia
The Catholic Encyclopedia, also referred to as the Old Catholic Encyclopedia and the Original Catholic Encyclopedia, is an English-language encyclopedia published in the United States. The first volume appeared in March 1907 and the last three volumes appeared in 1912, followed by a master index...
, in an ancient collection of the Vitae Patrum, of which an eleventh century copy exists in the Laurentian library of Florence
Florence
Florence is the capital city of the Italian region of Tuscany and of the province of Florence. It is the most populous city in Tuscany, with approximately 370,000 inhabitants, expanding to over 1.5 million in the metropolitan area....
, there is an account of the life of Donatus, which includes the following.
Donatus was born in Ireland, of a noble family. He was educated at Inis Cealtra on Lough Derg
Lough Derg
Lough Derg is the name of two lakes in Ireland:* Lough Derg a large lake on the River Shannon, bordering counties Clare, Galway and Tipperary.* Lough Derg a small lake, a place of Christian pilgrimage....
. About 816 he visited the tombs of the Apostles in 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...
with his friend, Andrew the Scot
Andrew the Scot
St. Andrew the Scot was the brother of St. Brigid the younger, been born in Ireland near the beginning of the ninth century to a noble family. Both Andrew and his sister studied under St. Donatus...
. According to Christian tradition, on his journey northwards he was led by Divine Providence
Divine Providence
In Christian theology, divine providence, or simply providence, is God's activity in the world. " Providence" is also used as a title of God exercising His providence, and then the word are usually capitalized...
to the cathedral of Fiesole, which he entered at the moment when the people were grouped around their altars praying for a bishop to deliver them from temporal and spiritual evils. Raised by popular acclaim to the See of Fiesole, Donatus instituted a revival of piety and learning in the church over which he was placed. Donatus made Andrew his deacon.
Works
He himself did not disdain to teach "the art of metrical composition". His Life of Saint Brigid is interspersed with short poems of his own composition. The best known of these is the twelve-line poem in which he describes the beauty and fertility of his native land, and the prowess and piety of its inhabitants. Donatus also composed an epitaphEpitaph
An epitaph is a short text honoring a deceased person, strictly speaking that is inscribed on their tombstone or plaque, but also used figuratively. Some are specified by the dead person beforehand, others chosen by those responsible for the burial...
in which he alludes to his birth in Ireland, his years in the service of the princes of Italy (Lothair
Lothair
Lothair is a Germanic given name, derived from the older form Clotaire .- People :It can refer to these people:*Lothair I , a King of Italy and Holy Roman Emperor...
and Louis
Louis
-Surname:* Arthur Louis , British musician whose surname is pronounced 'Lewis'* Thomas Louis , British naval officer* Pierre Louÿs , French writer* Spyridon Louis , Greek runner...
), his episcopate at Fiesole, and his activity as a teacher of grammar
Grammar
In linguistics, grammar is the set of structural rules that govern the composition of clauses, phrases, and words in any given natural language. The term refers also to the study of such rules, and this field includes morphology, syntax, and phonology, often complemented by phonetics, semantics,...
and poetry
Poetry
Poetry is a form of literary art in which language is used for its aesthetic and evocative qualities in addition to, or in lieu of, its apparent meaning...
.