E06391: Two letters of Pope Gregory the Great (Register 9.67 and 9.83) of 598/599, to Domitius, abbot of Lucuscanum, relate to a monastery dedicated to *Maximus (just possibly the martyr of Rome, buried on the via Salaria vetus, S00173) and *Agatha (virgin and martyr of Catania, S00794) in Palermo (Sicily). Written in Latin in Rome.

Pope Gregory the Great, Register of Letters 9.67 (to Domitius, abbot of the monastery of Lucuscanum)


Extract from a long letter dealing with a dispute over property in Sicily:

Et ideo quia de possessionibus Faiano, Nasoniano et Libiniano positis in prouincia Sicilia territorio Panormitano, de quibus inter praepositos monasterii sanctorum Maximi et Agathae quod Lucuscanum dicitur et e diuerso
administratores xenodochii in hac urbe Roma constituti quod Valerii nuncupatur longa se traxit contention.

‘Thus with regard to the possessions of Faianum, Nasonianum and Libinianum, located in the province of Sicily and the territory of Palermo, there has been a long drawn-out dispute over them between those in charge of the monastery of Saints Maximus and Agatha, called Lucuscanum, and on the other side, the administrators of a hostel built in this city of Rome, that is called of Valerius.’


Pope Gregory the Great, Register of Letters 9.83 (to the same Domitius, and to Antonius, subdeacon in charge of the Roman xenodochium):

Gregory replicates verbatim the text from 9.67.


Text: Norberg 1982, vol. 2, 622-3 and 637. Translation: Martyn 2004, vol. 2, 584 and 593, lightly modified.