Valeria of Milan

Who is Valeria of Milan?

Saint Valeria of Milan, or Saint Valérie, according to Christian tradition, was the wife of Vitalis of Milan, and the mother of Saint Gervase and Saint Protase, although other traditions make her a virgin martyr rather than a wife and mother.

She was martyred for burying Christian martyrs, and then refusing to sacrifice to the Roman gods. It is said she was from a noble family, and at an early age was baptised. The reigning Pope had commanded the priests of the area to organize nine decurias, each consisting of five men and five virgins. Their duty was to gather the corpses of Christians who had been martyred in the Coliseum and other places of martyrdom the preceding day.

According to one tradition, on June 3rd, Valeria was discovered by Roman soldiers searching for Christians. She avowed herself to be one of the faithful. Following terrible tortures, Valeria was beheaded in the Coliseum in the company of several other martyrs. Her remains were gathered by other Christians and were deposited in the Catacombs of Saint Sebastian. According to another tradition, shortly after the martyrdom of her husband, Vitalis of Milan, in Ravenna, she refused to join in a celebration and sacrifice to pagan gods, and was severely beaten, causing her death two days later in Milan.