San Laverio e Satrianum (PZ): racconto agiografico e testimonianze archeologiche

The cult of relics connects the many stories of transfers and dismemberment of holy bodies, that characterize many of the Medieval and Late Medieval hagiographic and religious literature. It is an integral part of the “myth of origins” of many foundations, not only those of single religious buildings, but also of entire civilian settlements, which could be either urban areas, or monasteries and castles. The desire, the need and the practice of finding and procuring relics of the holy bodies triggered the phenomena of alteration of worship, addressed to the sacred and saving remains, such as trade, falsification, misuse, theft and even robbery of relics. The hagiographic tradition, that records the saints and martyrs of the first centuries of Christianity and the Late Middle Ages, includes the region of Lucania, where it is possible to trace the evolution of various cults and to identify the role of promoters of Christianity. This area is also linked to a later tradition concerning the story of the martyr Laverio, who lived in the age of Constantine. He was martyred in Grumentum and buried there, in a church which he built and dedicated on the site of the martyrdom. In the events described of his life, we trace the story of a cult that was rather widespread in the region, as can be recognized in the place-names and in religious traditions, shared by Grumentum, Acerenza, Potenza, Tricarico, Venosa, Tito, Viggiano, Missanello, Ripacandida and also the Medieval Satrianum, where some of the relics of the Saint have been transferred. The present paper aims to describe the relation between the hagiographic story of this transfer of relics and the physiognomy of the fortified site of the Medieval Satrianum, discovered by a recent archaeological research.