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Zenobius of Florence
first bishop of Florence (337–417)
SaintResearchedDate unknown
Feast: 25 May (not on the universal Roman calendar; kept in the Roman Martyrology or local calendars)
Born
337
Died
25 May 417
verified
Beatified
—
not on record
Canonised
—
not on record
Who they were
Zenobius, born in Florence of pagan parents, was baptised by Bishop Theodore and won his parents to the faith. As archdeacon he became known to St Ambrose and served Pope Damasus on missions.
Returning to Florence, he became its bishop to the people's joy, famed for holiness, zeal and miracles. He probably died on 25 May 417, and is a patron of Florence.
The miracles
There was never a formal cause: he has been honoured as a saint since before the Church's formal processes began.
Why that counted as sanctity
A bishop and patron of Florence.
Sources
- Catholic Encyclopedia (1913), via New Advent - St. Zenobius
- Wikidata Q189700 — dates, feast day and identifiers (CC0)
- English Wikipedia — Zenobius of Florence (CC BY-SA)
Checked against the sources listed on 21 September 2026. Corrections welcome.