NAZARIO AND CELSO, Saints, Martyrs. - They are commemorated in the Martirologio geronimiano on 28 July. The time of their martyrdom is unknown, but it seems that it can probably be assigned to the beginning of the persecution of Diocletian. Their bodies were found by St. Ambrose after 395 in a garden: that of N. was transported to the basilica of the Apostles in Milan, which afterwards took his name, while that of C. was left in its place, where a basilica was subsequently erected.

Towards the middle of the 5th century, probably through the work of an African attached to the basilica of N., a fabulous Passio was composed (BHL, 6039-50), according to which N. would have been baptized by St. Linus while the Prince of the Apostles was still alive; after having traveled much preaching the Gospel in Italy and in the Galilees, he would have been killed in Milan together with the boy C., under Nero.

Bibliography6 works

BIBL.: Acta SS. Iulii, VI, Paris 1868, pp. 503-34; A. Dufourcq, Etude sur les Gesta martyrum romains, II, ibid. 1907, pp. 61-85; F. Savio, Gli antichi vescovi d'Italia dalle origini al 1300. La Lombardia, part 1, Milan, Florence 1913, pp. 811-819; Lanzoni, pp. 1001-1004; Martyr. Hieronymianum, pp. 400-401; Martyr. Romanum, p. 310.

Agostino Amore

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Nazario and Celso, Saints, Martyrs

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