Saint Alexander of Bergamo

Alexander was, according to the late accounts of his martyrdom, the standard-bearer of the Theban Legion: that company of Christian soldiers from the Thebaid commanded by the general Maurice. The story says that around the year 301 his century was moved from Mesopotamia toward the West — to Cologne, then to Brindisi, then to Africa. During that long march, Maximian’s orders against the Christians arrived, and the soldiers refused to carry them out. They were decimated at Agaunum, which today is called Saint-Maurice, in the Swiss canton of Valais. Alexander was among the survivors. He took refuge in Milan, where he was arrested again, and again managed to escape — according to the story, his chains fell off by themselves. He reached Bergomum, today’s Bergamo, and there they caught up with him. He was beheaded on August 26, 303, on the spot where the church of Sant’Alessandro in Colonna stands today. The column in its name still stands in the middle of the street, and tradition says it’s the one he was tied to. Bergamo took him as its patron and never let him go: three churches are dedicated to him, the cathedral bears his name, and August 26 is the city’s feast day. As for the Theban Legion, historians have been debating for centuries whether it really existed. The cult, in any case, is ancient and very widespread, all across the Alps. If your name is Alexander or Alexandra, today is your name day.