Saint Atto of Pistoia

Atto’s early life and Vallombrosian career

Born in Portugal in 1070, Atto travelled to Italy as a pilgrim during his twenties. He visited Vallombrosa Abbey in Tuscany, where the Abbot welcomed him. By 1100, he had entered the Vallombrosian order as a monk, becoming Abbot in 1105. In 1120, he was appointed Abbot General. He also recorded the lives of several Vallombrosian Abbots, including the Bishop of Palma.

Bishop of Pistoia and the relics of St James

Atto became Bishop of Pistoia in 1135. In the same year, he brought relics of the Apostle James from Santiago de Compostela to Pistoia and consecrated an altar to St James in the Cathedral of St Zeno. The intention was to strengthen Pistoia’s economy, as the relics drew growing numbers of pilgrims to the city.

Burial and later veneration

His body was found in 1337 in the Church of San Giovanni in Corte and subsequently transferred to the Cathedral of Saint Zeno. From the mid-17th century to the early 19th century, fires and torches were illuminated in his honour in Piazza Duomo.