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325:, with its inhabitants). A local legend tells that, during the siege of the city of Orléans by the Huns, the relief troops of the Roman general Ætius were late in arriving. Saint Aignan invoked heaven by throwing a handful of sand from the Loire from the top of the ramparts... Each grain turned into a wasp and a cloud of stings managed to put the barbarians to flight. Then Attila decided not to attack the city and to bypass it.
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He also has a church named after him in Saint-Agnan in
Moselle: the church of Saint-Agnan. A church of Saint-Aignan in Ruffey-sur-Seille (Jura), where he is represented by three large paintings (17th and 19th century). Another church of Saint-Aignan exists in the Atlantic Pyrenees at Ramous, as well
398:
In the 19th and 20th centuries, the Saint Aignan Fair (17 November), also known as the Pig Fair, was held on the square still known as the Saint Aignan cloister, located alongside the current Saint Aignan collegiate church. In reality, this event dates back several centuries (it already existed in
381:
Aignan is honoured in the Roman
Martyrology, and the Paris Breviary. He is one of the patron saints of the city of Orléans, somewhat supplanted almost a thousand years later and in rather similar circumstances, by Joan of Arc. Saint Aignan will be chosen as protector of the city and the diocese of
206:'s hordes, who had avoided Paris. Though advanced in age, he helped the populace prepare to defend themselves and traveled to Arles to ask the Roman general Aetius to intervene. Aignan died about 453 at the age of ninety-five. His remains were buried in the church of Saint-Pierre-aux-BĹ“ufs, in
194:
As a young man, he retired to a hermitage he had built for himself near that city, to live a life of prayer and penance. He then went to Orléans to study under by Bishop
Euvertius. Under the direction of Euvertius, he prepared for the priesthood, and after ordination was appointed Abbot of the
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A text, exhibited in the collegiate church of Saint-Aignan in Orléans, based on sources from the 5th and 6th centuries states that faced with the lack of civil authorities, the old bishop Aignan organized the defense. During the siege he invited the inhabitants to pray to God to give them the
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Upon the death of
Euvertius, Aignan became bishop of Orléans. It was customary on the installation of the bishop for the city to release prisoners. Agrippinus, the governor of the city, refused to release them despite Bishop Aignan's request; but falling ill, immediately set them at liberty.
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where the Roman patrician Ætius lived in order to convince him to intervene with his legions. While the inhabitants were waiting to be massacred, the Roman vanguard arrived, and the Huns withdrew. It was the beginning of their retreat. They were pursued and defeated near Troyes at the
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in Paris, close to Notre-Dame
Cathedral. This construction is due to Étienne de Garlande, dean of the chapter of the collegiate church of Saint-Aignan in Orléans and chancellor of Louis VI the Fat. The remains of this site can still be seen in the walls of 19 rue des Ursins.
289:. However, the inhabitants of Aurelianum shut their gates against the advancing invaders, and Attila began to besiege the city. After four days of heavy rain, Attila began his final assault on 14 June, which was broken due to the approach of the Roman coalition.
374:, including a crypt containing the relics of Saint Aignan. This crypt, reworked in the 14th century, is one of the largest in France, but the sculpted capitals from the 11th century remain. In the 1070s, an anonymous monk of Saint-Aignan composed the
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dating from the 13th century. A church of Saint-Aignan, built on an ancient spring, also exists in Épeigné-les-Bois (Indre-et-Loire). The church of the commune of Lacquy (Landes) is dedicated to Saint Aignan since the 10th century. The painter
277:
describe him as one of the main architects of the defense of
Aurelianum (the former name of Orléans) against the Hun king Attila in 451 with the help of Ætius, a Roman general, whom he had first convinced to join the city.
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the 18th century) and was an important fair and festival. The tradition is to give children a gingerbread pig on which their name is written with a sugar line. It was coupled with the Tree Fair, which still exists.
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to a family probably of Roman origin, who had fled the control of the Arian Goths in their homeland of
Hungary. His brother Leonianus became an abbot, and is commemorated in the Gallican martyrology on 16 November.
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Saint Aignan contributed through prayer and his skill as a negotiator to save the city of Orléans, in 451, from total destruction by the Huns (who had just destroyed
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Orleans, in memory of his courage and his trust in God. Nowadays, many places in France bear his name, because he was considered a savior at the time.
210:. They were later moved to the Monastery of Saint Lawrence. Some were burned by the Huguenots in 1562, but the rest are in a carved wood shrine in the
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Attila's army had reached
Aurelianum (modern Orleans, France) before June. This siege is confirmed by the account of the
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436:, is considered to be the mother church of the future parishes of the city (Saint-Pierre 1148 and Notre-Dame 1164).
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Every day, Aignan climbed to the top of a tower to scan the horizon and warn of a possible return of the Huns.
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Attila crossed the Rhine early in 451 with his followers and a large number of allies, sacking
Divodurum (now
363:, written in the middle of the century, the shrine of Anianus was comparable in importance to that of Saint
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monastery of Saint
Laurence outside the city walls. Later he was promoted to coadjutor Bishop of Orléans.
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dedicated to Anianus existed in the first half of the 7th century. According to the
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Saint Aignan is represented in art as praying on the top of the walls of Orléans.
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Head, Thomas. "Saintly Patronage and Episcopal Authority at the Abbey of Micy",
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Roman villa in Gaul sacked by the hordes of Attila the Hun (Huns by Rochegrosse)
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In the 11th century, King Robert II of France decided to build an abbey and an
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Comptes rendus des séances de l'Académie des Inscriptions et Belles-Lettres
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Saint Aignan (stained-glass window in the church of Saint-Aignan, Chartres)
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Butler, Alban. "Saint Anian, or Agnan, Bishop of Orleans, Confessor".
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A Saint-Aignan chapel was built in the 12th century, in 1116, on the
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652: This article incorporates text from a publication now in the
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Hagiography and the Cult of Saints The Diocese of Orleans, 800-1200
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Hagiography and the Cult of Saints The Diocese of Orléans, 800–1200
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Loyen, André. "Le rôle de saint Aignan dans la défense d'Orléans",
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with a shrine to Anianus sometime before 587. Gregory calls it the
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This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the
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This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the
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Aignan is credited with doing much to save his city from
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realized in 1900 a fresco representing Saint Aignan.
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Aignan of Orléans (or Anianus) was born about 358 in
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Lives of the Fathers, Martyrs, and Principal Saints
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301:strength to resist. At the same time, he left for
238:was slaughtered before the altar of his church in
120:bishop praying on the top of the walls of Orléans
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518:1866. CatholicSaints.Info. 18 November 2013
566:Sidonius Apollinaris, vii.328-331, 339-341
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472:United Kingdom, J. Hodges., 1877. p. 378
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607:Cambridge University Press, 1990, p. 21
579:, Année 1969, vol. 113, n° 1, pp. 64-74
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171:in 451. He is known as Saint Aignan.
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485:Monks of Ramsgate. "Anianus".
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701:5th-century Christian saints
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337:église Saint-Aignan, Orléans
285:and in the later account of
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130:city and diocese of Orléans
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453:Catholic Online: Anianus
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469:The Lives of the Saints
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174:Feast day: 17 November
72:Eastern Orthodox Church
555:Italy and Her Invaders
467:Baring-Gould, Sabine.
376:Miracula sancti Aniani
351:basilica sancti Aniani
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423:Ulpiano Checa y Sanz
271:Sidonius Apollinaris
711:5th-century Romans
706:Gallo-Roman saints
696:Bishops of Orléans
590:Historia Francorum
588:Gregory of Tours,
539:Historia Francorum
537:Gregory of Tours,
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236:Nicasius of Rheims
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553:Hodgkin, Thomas.
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159:, assisted
110:17 November
691:453 deaths
686:358 births
680:Categories
627:References
329:Veneration
116:Attributes
617:Head 1990
440:Footnotes
355:monastery
323:Divodurum
252:Genevieve
126:Patronage
83:Canonized
347:basilica
273:and the
248:Tongeren
188:Dauphiné
163:general
656::
394:Customs
208:Orléans
186:in the
149:Anianus
663:Aignan
592:, 2.7.
541:, 2.6.
416:as at
403:Legacy
317:Legend
264:Troyes
204:Attila
184:Vienne
157:France
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95:shrine
93:Major
303:Arles
260:Lupus
256:Paris
240:Reims
161:Roman
145:Latin
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106:Feast
353:. A
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178:Life
58:Died
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