FREDIANO, saint. - Bishop of Lucca, lived in the 6th century, born almost certainly in Ireland, perhaps of royal lineage. He was educated at Dromore by St. Colman and on the island of Aran by St. Enda. He made a pilgrimage to Rome, on his return from which he settled at Moville and founded a monastery there. He soon set out again for Italy, settling to lead an eremitical life in the vicinity of Lucca. As the fame of his virtues spread, around 560 he was elected bishop of Lucca. According to tradition he died on 18 March 588. Some of the many miracles attributed to him are related by St. Gregory the Great (Dialog., III, 9). Feast: 18 March; translation: 18 November.
It is difficult to reconstruct the life of F., especially before his episcopate, since it is not unlikely that it contains elements belonging to some other almost namesake Irish monk. Likewise, the chronology of F.’s episcopate has been disputed; some, relying on the order of an ancient catalogue of the bishops of Lucca, have assigned it to the 3rd-4th century. Nevertheless, tradition, the mention made of him by St. Gregory precisely in the Dialogues, and other considerations, make it more appropriate to assign him to the 6th century. - Vedi rev. CXIX.