San Rino
| San Rino | |
 | |
| Full name | Rino Fantucacchi |
|---|---|
| AKA | San Rino |
| Physical information | |
| Gender | Male |
| Biographical information | |
| Date of birth | 934 AN |
| Place of birth | Capocchialanza, Vegno |
| Date of death | 983 AN aged (49) |
| Place of death | Capocchialanza, Vegno |
| Nationality | Vegnese |
St. Rino (b. 934 AN - † 983 AN) is a spiritual figure venerated in Church of Vegsha, first spread to Vegno. Considered the Patron of the Outcasts, the Mocked and the Silent, St. Rhino is remembered for his deep compassion, detachment from worldly honors and tireless service to those whom society ignored or mocked.
Biography
Origins
Rino Fantucacchi was born in 934 AN, in the small village of Valverde (where the Capocchialanza stands today), nestled in the hills of a forgotten region of northwestern Apollonia. He was the third of five children born to Enzo Fantucacchi detto il Tessitore and Margherita da Rocca, a devout woman with a gentle spirit. The family lived on little, but was rich in love and values. From an early age, Rino showed a calm and compassionate disposition. He never quarreled with his siblings, always gave up his place at the table, and defended the animals from older boys who enjoyed mistreating them. It was because of this goodness that he began to be teased: he was called “Rino il Timido” (Shy Rino), “Frontelarga” (wide forehead) and “PomodoRino” (Tomatoes). During his teenage years, Rino became a favorite target of local bullies. They would throw stones at him, humiliate him in the square, and exclude him from games and jobs. But he never responded to hatred with more hatred. Each time, he would bow his head and pray.
«Even those who mock me suffer in silence something that I do not see.»
In his early twenties, Rino left the village for some time. He traveled as a pilgrim from convent to convent, learning the art of caring for the sick and contemplative prayer. Accompanying him was a small reddish-haired dog named Maya, who never left his side. It is said that Maya was born during an eclipse and barked only when someone lied. Her presence, silent and attentive, became a symbol of loyalty and spiritual vigilance. He never took vows, but was received with respect by monks and friars, who were impressed by his humility and wisdom that seemed to be beyond his years.
The Valverde Famine and the Miracle of the Spring
In 974 AN, when Rino was well into his forties, a devastating famine struck the entire Valverde region, including his homeland. The rains had ceased for months, crops rotted under a motionless sun, and rivers that once flowed clear were reduced to muddy rivulets. Many villagers abandoned the village in search of food and water, while others perished in their beds, consumed by hunger and fevers. The air was thick with silence and resignation. Rino remained, true to his principle.
«In the time of trial, the heart must take root like a tree.»
He organized a communal canteen with the last reserves of the village, distributing equal portions to all, without distinction. Every day he went into the woods in search of medicinal roots, edible leaves and nourishing lichens, carrying a sack woven by hand by his father, Enzo, on his shoulders. He cured the sick with decoctions, compresses and whispered words, as if they were water on stone. To those who rebuked him for his excessive generosity, he replied:
«My hunger does not matter, as long as a child's cry is thirsty.»
One day, he gave up his daily ration of water completely to give it to three brothers left alone after their mother died. His steps began to falter, but his spirit remained steadfast. During the shortest night of summer, the heat was so intense that it felt as if night had never truly fallen. Rino set off toward the Hill of the Three Shells, with Maya following him in silence. He carried with him only a small copper bell and a willow branch. Upon reaching the summit, he knelt beside a flat stone where his mother Margherita had once read the signs of the clouds. No one knows exactly what happened that night. Some folk tales say he danced with Maya to call down the rain. Others claim that a beam of moonlight struck his forehead, causing it to shine with an otherworldly glow. Still others speak of a prayer cried out by Rino, accompanied by Maya’s howl echoing through the hills:
«I do not ask for myself,
but for all that lives in the song of the wind,
for those who fade before the day begins.
Let the waters return,
and let me be nothing—nothing but a bridge.»
That night, the rain returned to soak the lands of Valverde, even though the skies remained clear and star-lit. The next morning, children playing at the foot of the hill saw a spring bubbling from the ground — clear, cool, unstoppable. The villagers gathered the water with trembling hands, and wept in silence. Rino, returning to the village with his clothes still wet from the invisible rain, said only:
«The water is not mine. It is the answer of what listens when we are quiet.»
From that day on, the spring became known as the Fonte di San Rino (Rino's Spring), and it grew into a sacred place of pilgrimage and meditation. Even today, according to tradition, its waters have never ceased to flow, not even during the harshest droughts.
Death
Rino died in 983 AN, quietly sitting on a bench near the small church of San Mauro. He was found with a faint smile, clasped hands and a shining forehead. He was only 49 years old.
Beatification of San Rino
The beatification of Rino Fantucacchi, known as San Rino, took place about a century and a half after his death, following numerous miracles attributed to his intercession. The process was initiated by a delegation of monks from the Church of Vegsha, led by Prior Father Zeno of Veldro, who came to Valverde to gather testimonies and document the extraordinary events that had taken place around the Spring of San Rino.
Over the years, pilgrims who visited the spring reported miraculous healings: long-sick people stood up healed, suffering children regained the ability to walk, and on days of solitude and prayer, pilgrims often heard a calm voice in the wind reciting words of peace. It seemed as though San Rino, in his infinite kindness, had continued to watch over his people even after his death.
Thanks to the assistance of the monks, who collected testimonies from eyewitnesses and accounts of miraculous healings, Bishop Andrea Calogero, head of the Church of Vegsha, launched the official inquiry into Rino's life and deeds. The process, concluded in 1124 AN recognized Rino as Blessed, considering him a man who had lived a life of extraordinary humility and compassion, becoming an example for all followers of the Way of Vegsha.
On the day of beatification, a grand ceremony took place at the Church of San Mauro where today stands Capocchialanza, with thousands of pilgrims arriving to pay tribute to the Blessed. His statue, depicting the San with one hand raised and the other resting on Maya, was carried in procession through the village while the people sang prayers of praise and gratitude. The Fonte di San Rino (Rino's Spring) was declared an official place of worship and a center of spirituality. The prayer ritual by the spring became recognized as a manifestation of the spiritual path of the Church of Vegsha, where humility and compassion are at the heart of every believer.
Sanctification of San Rino
The sanctificationof San Rino occurred more than five centuries after his death, in a historical context marked by turmoil and religious changes. In 1531 AN, the Church of Vegsha — which had spread across Apollonia and beyond over the centuries — formally requested the Council of the Sages of Vegsha to examine the life of San Rino for possible canonization. The monks of Vegsha, who had continued to preserve his teachings, felt that the time had come to officially recognize his sainthood.
Due to the long time since his death, it was not easy to collect direct testimonies, but new accounts of miracles and visions of San Rino from his older devotees were discovered. In particular, reports emerged of Rino appearing in dreams, with Maya by his side, bringing serenity to people tormented by war, poverty, and despair.
In 1531 AN, the head of the Vegsha Congregation, Father Alaric III, proclaimed San Rino San in a solemn ceremony. Following the canonization, the cult of San Rino grew deeper. His figure is celebrated with solemnity on June 21st, the day the saint made the rain return. The Ritual of the Bridge, a ceremony where the faithful walk silently across a long wooden pathway, became an act of devotion in places of worship dedicated to him.
Today, over a thousand years after his death, San Rino is still venerated as the San of the mocked and the excluded, the protector of all those who face pain in silence, finding strength in faith and simplicity. His legend continues to live in the hearts of those seeking comfort, and the mystery of San Rino’s Spring remains untouched, as a testament to what happens when love and prayer unite in a will for good for others.
