Treasury of San Marco, Venice Lesson, Game and Teacher's Guide

Treasury of San Marco, Venice
Patron Saints Game
Teacher's Guide

Introduction

Stories of the saints' lives were sources of both inspiration and entertainment to medieval Christians. Much medieval art focused on romantic and dashing saints such as St. George the Dragonslayer, patron saint of medieval knights. Theatre groups in the Middle Ages produced colorful "miracle plays," religious dramas that dealt with spectacular events in the lives of various saints. Medieval churchs were decorated with floor mosaics and stained glass windows which illustrated everyday and miraculous events in the saints' lives. Feastdays of the most popular saints filled the medieval Christian calendar, and were celebrated with parades, special church rituals, music, and feasting.

Who are these Christian saints, who inspired such veneration during the Middle Ages? Since the 10th century, the Catholic church has nominated for sainthood individuals (including angels) who it thought to be holy, and has researched their lives and works in preparation for naming them saints. When the Church determined that a nominee had led a holy life and had performed at least one miracle during his or her lifetime, the nominee could be canonized by the pope and made an official Catholic saint. This procedure is still in place today.

Some saints are chosen as special protectors or guardians over areas of life such as places, occupations, causes - anything that is important to a given group of people. These are known as patron saints. For example, because St. Francis of Assisi loved nature, he has been chosen by ecologists to be their patron saint, as well as the patron saint of all animals. While the Catholic popes have often been the ones to name patron saints, these saints can be chosen by other individuals or groups as well. There is even a proposed patron saint of Internet users - St. Isadore of Seville (c. 560-636), considered the most learned Christian scholar of his age