UBALDO, saint. — Restorer of canonical life and bishop of Gubbio, born there to a feudal family of Germanic origin between 1080 and 1085, died there on 16 May 1160.
Orphaned at a young age, he began his studies at the collegiate church of S. Secondo and continued them at Fano and then again at Gubbio, in the canonry of the Cathedral, whose regular life was in a state of complete decline; for this reason he asked to be allowed to return to the clergy of S. Secondo. Through the intervention of Bishop Giovanni of Lodi, U. re-entered the canonry of the Cathedral (1105), which he succeeded in reforming completely between 1120 and 1122: ordained a priest around 1114, by about 1117 he was already its prior; in 1119 he went to Ravenna to gain a full knowledge of the Portuense Rule, which he subsequently introduced into his canonry. After the serious fire that in 1125 destroyed part of Gubbio, U., having spent a short time at Fonte Avellana, undertook the reconstruction of the Cathedral, the canonry, and a hospital. But while he was engaged in this work of reconstruction, the Perugians chose him as their bishop: U. opposed this and, having arrived in Rome, asked Honorius II to release him from the office. Having obtained the favor, he returned to Gubbio, but upon the death of Bishop Stefano (late 1128–early 1129) he had to accept the bishopric of Gubbio, which he governed with firmness and gentleness for 31 years. His effective interventions are known during the struggle for the creation of the commune (1135–40), during the siege of the city by the eleven allied cities led by the Perugians (1153), and with Frederick Barbarossa, who threatened Gubbio with the fate of Spoleto (August 1155). He was buried in the Cathedral, of which he soon became co-patron; after his canonization by Celestine III (5 March 1192: Cenci, Codice diplomatico, cited in the bibliography, pp. 459–60), his body was transferred to the church situated on Colle Ingino (11 September 1194), where it is still venerated incorrupt. S. U. is invoked against unclean spirits and hydrophobia. That s. U. is the eponym of the celebrated sanctuary (13th century) of Thann in Alsace
(photo Fides)
UBANGHI-BELGA, APOSTOLIC VICARIATE of — Chapel in the «Mbanza» style.
under the name of s. Teobaldo is a highly controversial matter (cf. Cenci, Vita di s. U., pp. 200–20, and Clauss: the BHL, 8028, records a Vita in which s. U. is indeed called Teobaldo). The Vita of s. U. was written between 1162 and 1163 by Giordano, prior of the cathedral of Città di Castello, and by Teobaldo, successor to s. U. Feast day 16 May; the translation of the relics is commemorated on 11 September. For the Festa dei Ceri V. DUBBIO.