Teobaldo Roggeri

Teobaldo Roggeri was born in 1100 in Liguria, to a noble family with roots in Piedmont. Orphaned while still young, he left home in 1112 for Alba, where he apprenticed to a shoemaker and learned to earn his bread by honest labor. Attentive to the Gospel, Teobaldo renounced the privileges of his birth and chose an austere, hidden life. Though his master hoped he would marry into the family and inherit the trade, Teobaldo quietly vowed chastity and devoted himself to God. Alongside his work as a cobbler, he served as a porter, carrying sacks of grain through the streets. From his meager wages he gave generously to the poor, often sleeping outside the church. A beloved story recalls the “miracle of the flour,” when grain he had given away to the needy was mysteriously returned as flour. Teobaldo died in 1150 after falling ill while visiting a widow. Venerated for his humility and charity, he is patron of Vicoforte. His feast day is June 1.