Galgano Guidotti

Who was Galgano Guidotti?

Saint Galgano is a Catholic saint from Tuscany.

He was born in Chiusdino, in the modern province of Siena, Italy, from Guidotto and Dionigia. His alleged date of death is December 3, 1181, now celebrated by the Roman Catholic Church, but other scholars assign it to November 30, 1180.

Galgano led a ruthless life in his early years, but later abandoned it in favour of a pious hermitage in the place now known as Rotonda di Montesiepi. To show his will to change his life he put his sword inside a stone at top of Montesiepi, thus changing the sword into a cross. The Sword in the stone of San Galgano can still be seen at the Rotonda at Montesiepi, near the ruins of San Galgano Abbey. He died at Mount Siepi on 30 November 1181.

A round church was built over his tomb, where pilgrims came in large numbers and miracles were claimed. A papal commission of enquiry was set up in 1185; it is probable that Galgano was canonised in 1190. In that year Cistercian monks took over Monte Siepi at the request of Hugh, bishop of Volterra, but most of Galgano's monks left, scattered over Tuscany, and became Augustinian hermits. By 1220 a large Cistercian monastery was built below Galgano's hermitage: they then claimed him as a Cistercian saint. His cult was lively in Siena and Volterra, where numerous representations survive. The ruins of his hermitage can still be seen, while his cloak is kept in the church of Santuccio at Siena.