ELIA di REGGIO, called lo SPELEOTA, saint. - Basilian ascetic, born at Reggio Calabria (not at Bova) about 855, died at Melicuccà on 11 Sept. 960. He was called “lo Speleota” because he spent the greater part of his life in caves. He became a monk in 880. He then went to Sicily, wandered through Calabria, and was in Rome to venerate the tombs of the Apostles. On his return he withdrew to a cave at Melicuccà, where death overtook him.
BIBL.: His life was written by his disciple Ciriano and is preserved in cod. 29 (ff. 29-49) of Messina. A copy is found in cod. II, A, 26 of the Nazionale of Palermo. The Latin translation, made by the Basilian Antonio Tommasl, is preserved in cod. Barber. Art. 4460. The Greek original with the Latin trans. is reproduced in Acta SS. Septentr. III (Parigi 1868), pp. 648-87; A. Agresta, Vita e conversazione del s. p. E. Speleota, in cod. B, 3, XVII of Gruttierata. S. Careri, Vita del glorioso s. E., Napoli 1760; D. Martire, Calabria sacra e profana, I, Cosenza 1877, pp. 159-62; G. Minati, Lo Speleota, Napoli 1893. Francesco Russo