Saint Romuald was born in Ravenna around the year 952. He was the son of Count Sergio degli Onesti, belonging to a distinguished local family. According to Saint Peter Damian, who would write Romuald’s biography some years later, the young Romuald was not particularly interested in family affairs, and his father often criticized him for this lack of involvement. The biographer notes that even in his youth, the saint showed a particular inclination towards solitude and contemplation. A symbolic episode of this was during a hunting trip, when the wild and untouched nature of the forest deeply moved him, igniting in him the desire to withdraw into seclusion.
Saint Peter Damian also recounts a pivotal event in Romuald’s life: the day he unwillingly witnessed a murder. During a duel, his father, Count Sergio, killed a relative, and Romuald, deeply disturbed by the event, felt responsible for not having prevented the tragic clash. Overcome with guilt, he decided to retreat in penance at the Monastery of Sant’Apollinare in Classe, near Ravenna. During this time of great spiritual turmoil, he began having frequent conversations with a lay brother from the monastery, who encouraged him to take the monastic habit. Despite the persistent urging, Romuald hesitated, even after experiencing an apparition of Saint Apollinaris, as reported by Saint Peter Damian.
It was only later, while in prayer, that Romuald felt his heart set ablaze by divine love, and with great fervor, he finally decided to become a monk. He stayed in the Monastery of Classe for three years, after which he decided to leave, spending some time in the Venetian lagoon, then traveling to Catalonia, and later returning to Ravenna. After his return, he once again left his hometown, heading south, visiting Montecassino and Rome. It was during this period that Romuald began to gather around him a group of disciples, including Bruno of Querfurt, a dignitary from the imperial court of Otto III. Bruno, of noble birth, would become one of the most renowned German missionaries among the Slavic peoples. A follower of Saint Romuald, he accompanied him to Ravenna along with other disciples, settling for a time in Pereo, an area north of the city. Subsequently, Romuald left Italy to head towards Istria, returning a few years later.
According to the Vita Romualdi by Saint Peter Damian, this was one of the most fruitful periods in the life of Saint Romuald, during which he reached the height of his work as a reformer of the eremitic life. During those years, many people, eager to escape the noise and distractions of the world, sought refuge in the ascetic life, withdrawing to the countryside, especially in the mountainous regions of the Apennines. For most of these hermits, it was their first experience of asceticism, and it was Saint Romuald who provided them with a rule of life.
One of the most important events in the life of Saint Romuald was the founding of the Hermitage of Camaldoli, which took place around 1023. This act represents the saint’s final major contribution to the reform of monastic life. Curiously, Saint Peter Damian does not mention the founding of the hermitage in his biography, likely because at his time, it was still a small and relatively insignificant community. It was only in 1080 that the fourth prior of the hermitage, Rodolfo, provided a detailed description of the founding in his Consuetudini.
Towards the end of his life, Saint Romuald of Ravenna withdrew to the hermitage of Valdicastro, in the Marche region, where he spent his final years. He died around 1027 and was buried in that very place. His tomb soon became a pilgrimage site for many faithful. Saint Romuald’s remains stayed at Valdicastro until 1480, when they were stolen by two monks from the Monastery of Sant’Apollinare in Classe. However, the relics were recovered near Jesi and later transferred to the Camaldolese church of San Biagio in Fabriano, now known as the Church of Saints Biagio and Romuald, where his remains are still kept today.
Saint Romuald of Ravenna is known not only for his intense ascetic life and his contribution to the reform of eremitic life but also for his ability to attract disciples from various parts of Europe, all eager to follow his example of devotion and spirituality. His spiritual legacy continues to live on, especially through the Camaldolese community, which is still inspired by the rule of life he founded.
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