San Caprasio - Museo di San Caprasio

SAN CAPRASIO

Caprasio, cultured descendent of a rich gaulish-roman family, after renouncing the wealth, wonted live according to the Gospel inspiring to the ascetic experiences of the monks of desert that he visited during his travels in Orient. In one of these pilgrimages he was chosen as spiritual guide by the two brothers Onorato and Venanzio :  Venanzio died during his travel instead Onorato and Caprasio, came back to the Provence had the authorization to propose again the desert experience on the Lérins island by the bishop.

In 431, Saint’ Ilario of Arles, commemorating Saint Onorato, testified the life of Caprasio : “Saint Caprasio, man of perfect and full austerity led to the islands angelic life: since your love has ignored up today his name and life, know that Christ list him among his friends”. Some years after  Fausto di Riez , Lérins abbot between 434 and 462, remind saint Onorato, so wrote  “collected the Blessed Caprasioto have comfort and  company was under his  examination and decision like the rightest judge balance, for all that he had ordered and ruled: in his company …, established a camp for those that walk to the Holy Land ……they directed him (the monastery) like on a mountain faraway, invoked God praying without interruption ….”   Saint Caprasio died in 433 :  before his relics were in the Island Church, after centuries were saved by Saracen incursions and arrived in Aulla  between 885 and 896,  taken by Adalberto II of Tuscany on the occasion of his marriage with  Berta, coming from Provence. So he fulfilled his father’s desire that in the foundation deed of this abbey wanted to dedicate it to Saint Mary and Saints who could be taken here. In 2003 after the finding of Relics, Eugenio Binini bishop of Massa Carrara Pontremoli diocese designed Saint Caprasio as patron of pilgrims who cross our diocese.