ARIALD, Saint. - Leader of the reform movement in Milan, under the episcopate of Archbishop Guido da Velate (1045-71), the man elected by Henry III in opposition to the reform movement known as that of the Pataria.
A., of the noble family of Carimate (and not of Alzate), was born at Cucciago di Cantù around the year 1000; after his studies, completed in Milan, he was raised to the order of the diaconate, in which he remained all his life. He formed a friendship with Anselmo da Baggio, cardinal priest of the Church of Milan, with the noble Landolfo Cotta, cleric and notary of the Cathedral, and with other zealous Catholics, with whom he gave rise to a society to fight against the incontinence of the clergy, called by his opponents, as a screen, the Pataria, and its followers Patarini (rag-pickers). A. began to preach reform at Varese, then at Milan: he addressed himself to the people to stir them up against the clergy, scandalous and rebellious against the orders of Rome. At the provincial Synod, held at Fontaneto (Novara) under the presidency of Guido, A. and Landolfo were excommunicated, but both appealed to Rome. While they were on their way there, they were attacked at Piacenza by a hired assassin; Landolfo, wounded, returned to Milan, while A. was able to continue. The Pope sent to Milan as his legate the monk Hildebrand and Anselmo da Baggio, who had become bishop of Lucca, who encouraged the reformers to persist in the struggle. The new legate St. Peter Damian, bishop of Ostia, did the same.
After the death of Landolfo, A. placed at the head of the popular party, favorable to reform, Erlembaldo (v.), a noble knight and brother of Landolfo, whom Pope Alexander II (Anselmo da Baggio) named gonfalonier of Holy Church. The struggle flared up again in Milan and became tragic. At Pentecost of 1066 there was a tumult in the Cathedral over the bulls of excommunication against Guido, brought by Erlembaldo; A. was wounded and Guido, emboldened, laid the interdict on the city, as long as A. should remain there. Then A. departed secretly; joined by Erlembaldo, he was conducted by him to Pavia with the intention of continuing on to Rome; but in the vicinity of Piacenza, they were stopped by a friend of Guido and A. was taken prisoner. Once freed, he was shortly afterward betrayed by a priest of the opposing party and taken to the castle of Angera, where Oliva, niece of Guido, held sway. She had the deacon taken to a small island in Lake Maggiore, where he was murdered by two wicked priests who mutilated the corpse (June 27, 1066). The body was, ten months later, transferred to Milan by Erlembaldo; it seems that Pope Alexander II proclaimed him a martyr (1068), commemorated by Pius X on July 13, 1904, with the formula « sanctus vel beatus nuncupatus ». Feast, June 27.
Bibliography9 works
Carlo Castiglioni