Saint Magnus of Trani

Saint Magnus of Trani (Italian: San Magno di Trani; born around 200 AD), also known as Magnus of Anagni, Magnus Episcopus or Magnus of Fabrateria Vetus (probably Fabrateria Nova near Ceprano), is venerated by Catholics as the patron saint of Anagni in the Province of Frosinone (Lazio), together with his apprentice Saint Secundina. According to the legend, he is also associated with the church of Santi Michele e Magno in Rome, from where a skull and an arm were translated to St. Peter's Basilica. Since 1901 the saint is venerated in Louisville, Kentucky, after a set of relics – including a skull – from Anagni were sent to the St. Martin of Tours Catholic Church. Pope Gregory XIII's Roman Martyrology from the year 1583 referred to Magnus as bishop and martyr of Anagnia. In the revised edition of 2001 he is classified as a martyr from Lazio (since 2004 Fabrateriae Veterus), with the proviso that the data regarding his actual life are uncertain. On August 19, his feast is celebrated in Anagni and many other places. Hagiographers have always speculated about the saint's true identity. According to the Neapolitan scholar Gennaro Luongo, "the dossier of St. Magnus is among the most intriguing in medieval hagiography due to the variety of texts [...]. The many versions of the Passio or Vita, which have completely ignored the scant but reliable data from liturgical documentation, have – because of the story's evident stereotypical and fabulous character – posed serious difficulties for defining the saint's biographical profile and even his historical identity". Recent studies suggest that his character may have been a combination of an paleo-Christian martyr from Lazio and a Lombard bishop of Trani.