GIOVANNI CALIBITA, saint. — Born, according to legend, at Constantinople of a noble family at the beginning of the fifth century. Giovannetto fled together with an Acoemete monk in order to withdraw to a monastery. After six years of religious life he returned to his paternal home, living for three years, unknown to his parents, in a hut (καλύβης), whence the adjective of C.
Shortly before dying he revealed himself to his family, who subsequently transformed the hut into a church. He is commemorated among both Greeks and Latins on 15 January. At Rome a church was built in his honour on the Tiber Island, already mentioned in the ninth century by Anastasio Bibliotecario, who translated the life of G. into Latin. Subsequently it was believed that this had been the paternal home of G., thought to have been Roman. The first authentic pontifical document concerning the Roman church dates from 1018.