Saint Theobald of Mondovi
Saint Theobald was a 12th-century Italian shoemaker and porter who chose chastity and poverty. After a pilgrimage to Compostela, he spent the end of his life as a church sweeper in Alba to atone for a moment of anger. He is today the patron saint of shoemakers in his region.
Contemporaries
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Guided reading
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SAINT THEOBALD OF MONDOVÌ, SHOEMAKER (1150).
Origins and profession
Thibaud was born in Vico and worked as a shoemaker before becoming a porter in Alba.
Born in Vico , a village nea r Mondo vi, he first practiced the profession of shoemaker, then that of a porter i n Alba in the Mi lanese region. Thus, the shoemakers and cobblers of Mondovi and those of Montferrat celebrate his feast day as their patronal festival.
Vocation and pilgrimage
To preserve his chastity, he refused an arranged marriage and undertook a pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela.
The master shoemaker with whom he had learned his trade having died, he was encouraged to marry his daughter, to take over, as they say, the business. But the pious young man, who had resolved to live in complete chastity, escaped the danger of temptation by fleeing, and made the pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela. It was upon his return to Al ba, where he had served his apprenticeship as a shoemaker, that he practiced the hard trade of a porter. He found ways to do good for those poorer than himself. It is said that, not having had the courage to refuse needy people a load of flour he had undertaken to transport, his sack was found to be full as soon as he had emptied it. Toward the end of his life, he occupied himself with sweeping the churches, and when he died, he asked to be buried in the place where he discarded the sweepings of Saint-Laure nt of Alba. It is sa id that it was to atone for a moment of anger that he had become a sweeper.
Life of charity and penance
Upon returning to Alba, he multiplied acts of charity, performed the miracle of the flour, and ended his life as a church sweeper out of humility.
Blessed Thibaud i s depicted with a b room or a sack. He is the patron saint of the city of Alb a, a nd as we have already mentioned, of the shoemakers' guild in Mondov i.
Cult and iconography
Saint Theobald is the patron saint of the city of Alba and of shoemakers; he is depicted with a broom or a sack.
AA. SS. , new translation.
Iconography
Signs and attributes
Entities
Narrative network
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The supernatural in their life
The miracles of Saint Theobald of Mondovi
Frequently asked questions about Saint Theobald of Mondovi
Who was Saint Theobald of Mondovi?
Saint Theobald was a 12th-century Italian shoemaker and porter who chose chastity and poverty. After a pilgrimage to Compostela, he spent the end of his life as a church sweeper in Alba to atone for a moment of anger. He is today the patron saint of shoemakers in his region.
What is Saint Theobald of Mondovi the patron saint of?
Patronage of Saint Theobald of Mondovi: Alba, shoemakers of Mondovi, cobblers of Mondovi and shoemakers of Montferrat.
How is Saint Theobald of Mondovi depicted in Christian art?
In iconography, Saint Theobald of Mondovi is recognizable by: broom and sack.
What miracles are attributed to Saint Theobald of Mondovi?
1 miracle are attributed to this saint, notably: Multiplication / provision.
Which saints were contemporaries of Saint Theobald of Mondovi?
Contemporaries include: Saint Norbert of Magdeburg, Saint Bernard of Clairvaux, Saint Stephen of Hungary and Saint Arthaud of Belley.
When did Saint Theobald of Mondovi die?
Saint Theobald of Mondovi died around 1200.
What are the other names of Saint Theobald of Mondovi?
Other forms of the name: Thibaud.
Annexes & related entities
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Key Events
- Apprenticeship as a shoemaker in Alba
- Refused to marry his master's daughter to preserve his chastity
- Pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela
- Return to Alba as a porter
- Served as a church sweeper as an act of penance