RUGGERO, Saint. - Bishop of Canne and patron saint of Barletta, born in Pietra, a hamlet of the same city.
Some scholars maintained that he flourished in the 5th century, but without any proof; the documents instead brought to light in the archive of that bishopric, now in Barletta, in the Vatican Archives and elsewhere, show that the series of bishops of Canne begins in 1030 and the only bishop R. included in that series is the one born around 1050 and flourishing between 1100 and 1128. In 1102 R. took part in the consecration of the cathedral of St. Sabinus in Canosa with Pope Paschal II; he witnessed the destruction of his city, which occurred at the hands of Robert Guiscard in 1083. The citizens of Canne, forced by wars, emigrated to Barletta in 1276 and there transferred the body of R. to the monastery of St. Stephen, where it is still preserved in a silver urn, which is carried in procession on December 30, the day of his death. The Sacred Congregation of Rites, on November 27, 1942, approved the new Office of the Saint.