St. Giovanni Vincenzo

St. Giovanni Vincenzo (San Giovanni Vincenzo, also known as St. John Vincent) was a 10th-century hermit and former Archbishop of Ravenna who is credited with founding the Sacra di San Michele on Mount Pirchiriano in Piedmont, Italy. ## Life Giovanni Vincenzo was a disciple of St. Romuald, the founder of the Camaldolese Order, who was renowned for promoting eremitical (hermit) monasticism based on the traditions of the Egyptian and Irish desert fathers. Following his master's example, Giovanni Vincenzo withdrew to a solitary life of prayer and contemplation on Monte Caprasio in the Susa Valley. ## The Vision of St. Michael According to tradition, around the year 980, Giovanni Vincenzo experienced a vision in which the Archangel Michael appeared to him, commanding him to build a sanctuary on the summit of nearby Mount Pirchiriano. The hermit, though poor and without resources, obediently began the work. Legend holds that angels themselves assisted in transporting building materials miraculously up the mountain. ## Legacy The small oratory Giovanni Vincenzo constructed became the nucleus of the great Sacra di San Michele, which would flourish under Benedictine rule and become one of the most important abbeys in medieval Europe. Today, St. Giovanni Vincenzo is the patron saint of Sant'Ambrogio di Torino, the town at the foot of Mount Pirchiriano. **Feast Day:** His feast is celebrated locally in Sant'Ambrogio di Torino.