SINFORIANO, saint, martyr. — He is commemorated in the Martyrologium Hieronymianum on 22 August.
A martyr of Autun, he was celebrated by Venantius Fortunatus; Gregory of Tours speaks several times of the Basilica built in the fifth century by the presbyter Euphronius over his tomb, which soon became a destination for pilgrimages. The Passio, although not contemporary, offers reliable elements. The son of the noble Faustus, S. was arrested during the reign of Aurelian and brought to a temple to sacrifice; he refused energetically. He was therefore beaten with rods and confined in prison. Finally, he was condemned to capital punishment and beheaded outside the city walls.
BIBL.: S. Gregory of Tours, Hist. Franc., II, 15; VIII, 30; In gloria Confess., 79; In gloria Martyr., 51; Venantius Fortunatus, Carmina, VIII, 3; Acta SS. Augusti, IV, Paris 1867, pp. 491–98; H. Delehaye, Les origines du culte des martyrs, Brussels 1933, p. 353; Martyr. Hieronymianum, p. 458; Martyr. Romanum, p. 353. Agostino Amore