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In 1694 the Neapolitan playwright Carmino Scassafer published a "sacred tragedy" entitled L'Innocenza per seguitata overo Santa Trofimena, dealing dramatically with the life of the saint.īishop Silvestro Stana began the remodelling of the cathedral in the late-18th century, and a few years later the relics were rediscovered on the night of 27 November 1793. Despite having a number of names - Trufumena, Trefonia, Febronia – on 21 January 1673 the Sacred Congregation of Rites in Rome confirmed that the saint would be known henceforth in the martyrs calendar as Trofimena. However, the passing centuries led to the memory of the exact position of the relics being lost. In 987 Minori was elevated to a bishopric. The relics were transported to Minori, with much rejoicing, and on 13 July 840 were jealously hidden within the basilica. An agreement was reached to release the body excluding the top of the skull. Before the arrival of the relics of Andrew from Constantinople, Trofimena enjoyed considerable veneration along the whole of the Amalfi territory, because she was the only saint of whom they possessed actual relics. However the following year, 839, Sicard was assassinated, and two priests from Minori immediately begged for the surrender of the saint with both Prince Radelchis and the Bishop of Benevento, threatening Radelchis with the eternal enmity of the Amalfitans in case of refusal.

Bishop Peter's tomb was violated and his body indeed left to the dogs. Sicard, returning from a successful expedition against the Saracens, directed his fleet towards Amalfi, invaded the city, and carried away the bones - first to Salerno, and from there to Benevento. The Amalfitans, fearing that Sicard might also seize Trofimena's relics from Minori (a town not capable of repelling attack), carried the remains by boat to Amalfi, and deposited them in their cathedral.Īgain the legend records Trofimena's displeasure at being taken from Minori when Bishop Peter is warned that he will die shortly for violating the tomb, and his corpse eaten by wild dogs. Trofimena's repose was short, for in the year 838 Sicard of Benevento, having erected a church in his own capital, went in search of relics for it, and engaged some sailors from the neighbouring city of Amalfi to procure for him the body of St. By visions and other indications the saint expressed her determination to remain. Miracles were then said to have occurred, and large charitable donations made. Under that account, the relics were deposited in the town church with great pomp. The relics have a historic record certainly stretching back to at least 838–839 AD according to an anonymous 9th century chronicler that narrated the discovery and transferral of the relics under Sicard, the Longobard Prince of Benevento. The subsequent history of the town of Minori is tied to the cult and veneration of Trofimena and for more than 1,000 years the town has jealously conserved her relics. When she had failed to win over Ulysses with her music, Parthenope died and her body was carried by ocean currents to the shore where the people discovered the goddess with closed eyes and white face, and took her remains to place them in a magnificent tomb accompanied by sacrifices and torchlight processions to the sea. Īt least one modern scholar has drawn parallels with the myth of the siren, Parthenope, who was said to inhabit the small islands of the shore of Naples with her sisters. The calves refusing to move from the spot and the people interpreting it as a divine signal on the choice of place.

The urn is discovered by the people of Minori who have it carried by a pair of white calves in the presence of Bishop Peter of Amalfi (c.829) and where the beasts stop a church is built and dedicated. After death, Trofimena's body is hidden protectively in an urn and thrown into the sea, the current taking it to the coast of Salerno in southern Italy, and directly to the town of Minori. The key legend says she was martyred while still a young girl in the town of Patti in Sicily, around the age of 12 or 13 by her own father because she wanted to be baptised and embrace Christianity.Ī story is told of a vision of an angel who announced her consecration to Christ and imminent martyrdom, and advised against wedding plans already advanced by her family. Trofimena's hagiographical history is unfortunately contorted.