Vitalis of Assisi

Who was Vitalis of Assisi?

St. Vitalis of Assisi, O.S.B., was an Italian hermit and monk. Born in Bastia Umbra, Vitalis as a youth was licentious and immoral. However, he attempted to expiate his sins by going on pilgrimage to various sanctuaries in Italy and Europe. When he returned to Umbria, he became a Benedictine monk at Subiaco.

Vitalis then spent the rest of his life in the hermitage of Santa Maria di Viole, near Assisi, in utter poverty. His one possession was an old container that he used to drink water from a nearby spring. His reputation for holiness soon spread after his death. He was known as a patron against sicknesses and diseases affecting the bladder and genitals.

On 29 May 2011, a head preserved as a relic, allegedly that of this saint, was offered at auction with an estimate of €1,000 at Annesbrook House, Duleek, County Meath, Ireland. It was sold to an unnamed movie star from Los Angeles, California, for €3,500.