St.Augustine

"These are bad times, the men say. Then live well and times will be good. We are the times."

On 28th August 430, in Hippo, St. Augustine, bishop, theologian, philosopher, father and saint of the Catholic Church, died.

Considered by many to be one of the most important figures of the ancient Church, he was born in the city of Tagaste, in northern Africa. As a young man Augustine had a corrupt and dissolute life, as he himself wrote in his most famous work: the "Confessions”.

On the threshold of his twenties, after reading the famous Cicero's “Hortensius” (now lost), he began to devote himself to philosophy, approaching Manichaeism.

The meeting with St. Ambrose in Milan completely changed his life; in fact Augustine converted to Christianity and was baptized by Ambrose himself, at the time bishop of Milan. He returned to his homeland and he began to lead an austere life in the company of some friends, dedicating himself until his very last days to the study of the Holy Scriptures.

The works of Saint Augustine and his thoughts fascinated great poets such as Dante and Petrarch, for the latter, in fact, the saint represented a “maestro di vita”.

Tommaso Parentucelli, future Pope Nicholas V, considered the first pope-patron of arts, in his youth read the writings of Saint Augustine, and then began to keep them with great care in the Vatican library which he himself wanted once he became pope.