Il culto delle reliquie a Nonantola

The abbey of San Silvestro di Nonantola, like other medieval cenobia, became a pilgrimage destination thanks to the presence of relics of saints. First among them were those of the saint patron saint, Pope Sylvester I, which according to tradition were recovered from Rome and preserved at the Nonantola abbey by the work of the first abbot Anselm. Likewise, on the basis of hagiographic memory, already during the 9th century the remains of the founding abbot Anselm became an object of of cult along with those of Pope Adrian III. The preservation of his remains increased the popularity of Nonantola as a destination of pilgrimage for the worship of the relics of saints. This article presents an analytical description of the minor relics preserved at the abbey and recently rediscovered following a census of abbey property for the 2000 Jubilee.