Sebaldus

Sebaldus (or Sebald) was an Anglo-Saxon missionary to Germany in the 9th or 10th century. He settled down as a hermit in the , of which city he is the patron saint.

Legends Almost all details of the life of Sebaldus are uncertain, beyond his presence in the woodland of Poppenreuth, west of Nuremberg, which was explained by his being a hermit. However various legends about his life have been recorded.

Origins One of the earliest legends claims Sebaldus was a contemporary of Henry III (died 1056) and was of Franconian origin. After a pilgrimage in Italy, he became a preacher at Nuremberg. Another text claims that he was a Frankish nobleman who met Willibald and Winibald in Italy (thus dating his life to the 8th century) and later became a missionary in the that is associated with his name.

Veneration Shrine of St. Sebaldus (containing his relics) in the Sebalduskirche at Nuremberg, the masterpiece of Peter Vischer the Elder and his sons, 1508–1519 Despite the obscure origins and uncertain historicity of the saint himself, the cult of Sebaldus has long been associated with Nuremberg, a city that fostered the cult and became a place of pilgrimage. In 1255, he became the co-patron, with Saint Peter, of the newly rebuilt parochial church, where his tomb was venerated. In the same church, in 1507, Sebastiano del Piombo painted a representation of Sebald.