Saint Vitalissimo

Saint Vitalissimus (died 1st century) was a martyr of the Roman persecutions during the early centuries of the Church. According to the inscription found inside the urn where his remains are preserved, the saint was a 25-year-old youth who suffered martyrdom on June 4 and was buried in the Catacombs of Cyriaca in Rome, from which his body was later exhumed. The vial of blood contained in the urn testifies to the truth of his martyrdom. The reliquary housing the saint's relics was kept in a chapel at the Palazzo Rinuccini in Florence. On October 16, 1858, by the will of the Marchioness Eleonora Rinuccini Corsini, the last heir of the family, it was decided to transfer the remains to the church of Faella so that Saint Vitalissimus would be better known and venerated. This served as a votive legacy to the Faella community from the ancient feudal house before its extinction.