Saint Julian the Hospitaller

Saint Julian, from a fresco by
Domenico Ghirlandaio

The 12th of February is the feast day of Saint Julian the Hospitaller. He is the patron saint of boatmen, carnival workers, childless people, circus workers, clowns, ferrymen, fiddlers, fiddle players, hospitallers, hotel-keepers, hunters, innkeepers, jugglers, knights, murderers, pilgrims, shepherds, to obtain lodging while traveling, travelers, wandering musicians, St. Julian’s; and Macerata.

Saint Julian the Hospitaller lived in the 4th century and was born in a wealthy noble European family. Though little is known about his life for certain, there is a legend that he married a noble widow but was put under a curse. The curse was that he would kill his parents one day. Julian and his wife moved very far away hoping to avoid this curse. However, Julian’s parents discovered where he was and decided to visit him unannounced while Julian was away. His wife gave them their bed to sleep overnight. Julian returned and found the couple in the bed, assuming his wife was with another man, he slew them both. When he learned of the truth, he spent his life in penance. Both he and his wife went to Rome as pilgrims and returned to create a hospital as part of their penance, dedicating the rest of their lives in caring for the sick and the poor. A leper came to stay in the hospital and later revealed himself to be an angel, telling Julian that God had granted him absolution for his sins. The river that the hospital was built next to, was crossed often by the crusaders.