Atto of Pistoia

Saint Bishop Atto O.S.B. Vall.
Bishop of Pistoia
Native name	Atão de Pistoia
Church	Roman Catholic Church
Diocese	Pistoia
See	Pistoia
Appointed	1133
Term ended	22 May 1153
Predecessor	Ildebrando Guidi
Successor	Tracio
Orders
Consecration	c. 1133
Rank	Bishop
Personal details
Born	Atto c. 1070 Beja, Taifa of Seville
Died	May 22, 1153 (aged 82–83) Pistoia, Margrave of Tuscany
Sainthood
Feast day	22 May 21 June (Pistoia)
Venerated in	Roman Catholic Church
Canonized	24 January 1605 Saint Peter's Basilica, Papal States by Pope Clement VIII
Attributes	Episcopal attire Pastoral staff Benedictine habit

Atto of Pistoia, or Saint Atto (Portuguese: Santo Atão; c. 1070 – 22 May 1153), was a Catholic bishop and a professed member from the Vallumbrosan Order as well as the Bishop of Pistoia and a noted historiographer.

Life

Atto was born around 1070. Spanish historian Enrique Flórez thought Atto was from Badajoz in Extremadura, Spain close to the Portuguese border. A Portuguese source says he was born in Beja, Portugal.

He went as a pilgrim to Italy, and stopped at Vallombrosa Abbey where he was welcomed by the abbot, Bernardo degli Uberti. By 1100 he was a Vallombrosian monk at Vallombrosa (in Tuscany), and became Abbot in 1105. He became abbott-general around 1120. He wrote lives of John Gualbert and Bernard degli Uberti, bishop of Parma.

In 1135 Atto was made Bishop of Pistoia, also in Tuscany. He continued to follow the rule of his order and served as visitor to the monasteries. Together with his Canons he recited the Hours of the Divine Office, as was already customary in the Cloister. As bishop, he managed the delicate relationship with the municipal authorities of Pistoia, often marked by breakdowns and clashes.

In 1145 he transferred to Pistoia from Santiago de Compostela certain relics of the Apostle James the Great and dedicated an altar to Saint James in the Cathedral of Saint Zeno to house them. This later gave rise to a chapel dedicated to St. James. This had both economic and political ramifications, as pilgrims soon began to come to Pistoia to honor the saint. He also built a hospital in honor of the apostle.

In 1337 the body of the saint was found inside the Church of San Giovanni in Corte and from there moved to the Cathedral of San Zeno. From the middle of the seventeenth century, up to the beginning of the nineteenth century, on the day of June 21, in his honor, the so-called "fires of Sant'Atto" were held in the Piazza del Duomo (or which is the same, in front of the cathedral). People from neighboring districts would flock to the square, which was illuminated with countless torches displayed from ornate window sills.

From the 1913 Catholic Encyclopedia

Atto of Pistoia — Born at Badajoz in Spain, 1070; died 22 May, 1155. He became Abbot of Vallombrosa, (Tuscany) in 1105, and in 1135 was made Bishop of Pistoia. He wrote lives of St. John Gualhert and St. Bernard of Vallombrosa, bishop of Parrna. In 1145 he transferred to Pistoia certain relics of St. James of Compostella. His correspondence on that occasion is found in Ughelli, "Italia sacra", VII, 296.