Gavinus

Saint Gavinus, remembered in Sardinia as San Gavino, was born in the Roman world, though the place and year of his birth are not known. He served as a Roman soldier and came to Porto Torres, then called Turris, during the fierce persecution of Christians under Emperor Diocletian. There, the governor Barbarus enforced the imperial edicts demanding sacrifice to the pagan gods. Gavinus, together with Protus, a bishop, and Januarius, a deacon, courageously refused to deny Christ. Tradition recounts that Gavinus, moved by the steadfast faith of Protus and Januarius, chose to share their witness; when he openly professed himself a Christian, he was condemned and beheaded on the shore in 304. His companions soon followed him in martyrdom. Venerated as one of the Martyrs of Torres, Gavinus is honored especially at Porto Torres, where the great Basilica of San Gavino preserves the relics of the three martyrs. He is patron of Porto Torres and is invoked in places such as Camposano, Illorai, Monti, Muros, Oniferi, and Sassari. His feast is celebrated on October 25.