A tale of two patriarchs

According to ancient legend, the Patriarchate of Aquileia was established in the 1st century by St Mark and St Peter.

St Mark had come to Aquileia — the capital of north-east Italy in Roman times — and chose Hermagoras to lead the local church. Together, they travelled to Rome, where Hermagoras was invested as bishop of Aquileia by St Peter himself.

This would make the Church of Aquileia one of the most ancient Christian communities.

Such an origin story of the church of Aquileia was highly useful — both for the local church and for the Venetians — as it placed the church of Aquileia on an almost equal footing with the Patriarchate of Alexandria, founded by St Mark, and the Papacy in Rome, founded by St Peter.

In fact, it is much more likely that the church of Aquileia was established in the early 300s, and that Hermagoras ­— later sanctified — lived then.

#histodons #OriginOfVenice #PatriarchOfGrado #SchismOfTheThreeChapters #Venezia #Venice

Read more here: https://historywalksvenice.com/article/early-venice/a-tale-of-two-patriarchs/