Saint Julia, Martyr and Patron Saint of Corsica

On 22 May, Saint Julia is celebrated as the patron saint of both Corsica and Livorno. Born into nobility, she lived as a slave and died a martyr by crucifixion.

The story of Saint Julia the Martyr is not widely known, as it appears in only a few hagiographic texts and biographical records such as the Golden Legend (Legenda Aurea) by Jacobus de Voragine. This work recounts the lives of many saintly martyrs, but only briefly touches on Saint Julia. The limited information we have comes from a late medieval Passio and from ancient chroniclers who passed down mostly oral testimonies of her life and martyrdom. It is interesting to note how the various versions of Saint Julia’s story differ in several key aspects. In particular, the oral tradition, derived from accounts by chroniclers who lived and worked in Corsica—of which the saint is patron—is much more tied to elements and places unique to the island itself.

Regardless of the differing traditions surrounding her, great festivities and processions are held in her honour both in Corsica and in Livorno, which shares her patronage. Her relics are kept partly in Corsica, in Nonza, partly in Livorno—where they are carried in procession on 22 May, Saint Julia’s feast day—and partly in Brescia, where they were transferred at the will of Ansa, wife of the Lombard king Desiderius, to a monastery that later took the saint’s name.

The Passio of Saint Julia

The Passiones of the saints are accounts of the lives of Christian martyrs, often passed down orally, blending historical facts with fictional elements. These stories, though not always strictly factual, are infused with devotion and meant to be morally uplifting. According to the Passio dedicated to her, Saint Julia came from Carthage, where her family was wealthy and of high status. Following her family’s downfall, Julia found herself enslaved and was purchased by Eusebius, a wealthy Syrian merchant. Struck by her grace and composure, he took her with him on his travels around the world.

It so happened that Eusebius’s ship was wrecked off the coast of Corsica, where the cruel governor Felix reigned at the time. He too was captivated by the beauty and sweetness of the slave, and first attempted to buy her from Eusebius. When the merchant refused, Felix devised a plan to claim her. One night, while Eusebius was drunk, Felix summoned Julia and promised her freedom if she would honour Jupiter and offer sacrifices to the pagan gods. Julia firmly and repeatedly refused. After much persistence, Felix ordered that her hair be torn out, that she be scourged, and finally crucified.

The oral tradition shifts the origins of Saint Julia to Corsica. In this version, the saint was born in Nonza, a small village near Cap Corse in the northeast of the island. A Roman citizen who had converted to Christianity, she became a victim of the ferocious persecutions of Christians launched by Decius and later Diocletian, after she refused to honour pagan deities along with the other matrons. In this version, as a Roman citizen, Julia could not be crucified, so she was either beheaded or killed with a sword.

Another version of the martyrdom claims she was nonetheless crucified, like Christ whom she loved deeply, after her breasts were torn off. At the spot where Saint Julia’s breasts were thrown—at the foot of a boulder near Nonza—a miraculous hot spring is said to have sprung forth. To this day, the place is commemorated by a chapel.

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Statue of St. Julia of Corsica with a pigeon in painted wood from Val Gardena

The material used is maple wood, except for 60cm statue, which is made of lime. Sculpted in Val Gardena.

The Monastery of Saint Julia in Brescia

As for the devotion to the saint in the city of Brescia, it is attested by the presence of the Monastery of Saint Julia in Via dei Musei. The monastery was originally dedicated to Saint Salvator. It was founded in 753 AD by the future Lombard king Desiderius and his wife Ansa, as a ‘gift’ for their daughter Anselperga, who became its abbess. The monastery became a hub of significant trade and amassed great wealth.

The relics of Saint Julia were brought there, along with those of Saint Sophia and her daughters Pistis, Elpis, and Agape, as well as other renowned saints. Even under Carolingian rule, the place of worship retained its privileges and continued to exercise strong economic and secular power. It is said that it was in this very monastery that Ermengarde, daughter of Desiderius, wept after being rejected by Charlemagne, unable to give him an heir.

During Napoleon’s campaign in Italy, the monastery was converted into a cavalry barracks, lost all its assets, and went through a long period of decline and abandonment, until 1882, when it was transformed into the Museum of the Christian Era. In 1966, the municipality of Brescia began the architectural restoration of the site.

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Statues

Catholic statues and figurines in various size and materials.