Magnus of Oderzo

Magnus Oderzo (* 580 in Altinum; † 670 ) was an Italian bishop and church founder. He is venerated as a saint in the Catholic Church.

Biography

About his life, there is little contemporary sources. According to tradition he was born into a noble family in Altino. After a thorough humanistic education, he prepared himself as a hermit before for the priesthood. He was an ardent opponent of Arianism, which was funded by the Lombards. 630 he followed the Saints Tiziano after as Bishop of the Diocese Oderzo. At this time Oderzo was formally still under the rule of Byzantium. Rothari, King of the Lombards, took advantage of the weakness of the Byzantines and conquered Oderzo. Most of the inhabitants fled, under the leadership of the bishop of the nearby lagoon island Melidisa and founded a city, which was named in honor of the Byzantine emperor Heraclius Heraclea. Pope Severinus allowed Magnus to move also the episcopal see of the island. 667 destroyed Grimoald final Oderzo and a second wave of refugees arrived on the island. Bishop Magnus was the founder of eight early churches in what is now the city of Venice:

Santi Apostoli San Pietro di Castello, Santa Maria Formosa, Santa Giustina, San Giovanni in Bragora, San Zaccaria, San Salvador and Angelo Raffaele.

Eraclea lost in the 9th century against Venice in importance and was finally abandoned due to progress of the lagoon. The Doge Pietro Ziani transferred the bones of the saint on October 6, 1206 to Venice in the Church of San Geremia. 1459, the Senate decided to declare this day a holiday. 1563, an arm of the saint was placed in the Basilica of San Marco, the Doge where he and the faithful was shown in a magnificent reliquary for veneration on October 6. 1956 returned the bones back into the new Eraclea. Cima da Conegliano has shown the saints together with the Apostle Thomas in a painting that is now in the Accademia ( Venice).