Aurelia of Strasbourg

Who was Aurelia of Strasbourg?

Saint Aurelia of Strasbourg, also known as Aurelia of Ratisbon, is a 10th-century Roman Catholic Austrian saint.

Aurelia was a princess from the family of Hugh Capet, the first King of the Franks. She fled in disguise to Strasbourg, in order to escape a marriage arranged against her will by her parents. Following the advice of Saint Wolfgang, Bishop of Ratisbon, who saw through her disguise, she accepted the life of a Solitary and entered a hermitage where she remained for about fifty-two years.

The reputation of her sanctity, evidenced by several miracles, was widespread at the time of her death in 1027. Her relics were enshrined, and her hermitage converted into a chapel, which became a popular pilgrimage site. Her feast day is celebrated on October 15.

Aurelia's name comes from the Latin term aureus meaning "golden".