Bavo | |
|---|---|
 Saint Bavo with falcon and sword, byGeertgen tot Sint Jans, late 15th century | |
| Born | Allowin 622 Hesbaye,Kingdom of the Franks |
| Died | 653 Ghent, Kingdom of the Franks |
| Venerated in | Roman Catholic Church Eastern Orthodox Church |
| Canonized | Pre-Congregation |
| Feast | October 1 |
| Attributes | Greaves, other military or aristocratic garb,falcon, sword |
| Patronage | Ghent,Diocese of Ghent,Haarlem,Lauwe |
Saint Bavo of Ghent (also known asBavon,Allowin,Bavonius,[1]Baaf; AD 622–659) is aRoman Catholic andEastern Orthodoxsaint. He exchanged a dissolute lifestyle for that of a missionary under the guidance of Saint Amand.
Bavo was born nearLiège, to aFrankish noble family that gave him the nameAllowin.[2] A wild young aristocrat of the Brabant area, he contracted a beneficial marriage, and had a daughter.
As a soldier he led an undisciplined and disorderly life. Shortly after the death of his wife, Bavo decided to reform after hearing a sermon preached bySaint Amand (c. 584 – 679) on the emptiness of material things.[1] On returning to his house he distributed his wealth to the poor, and then received thetonsure from Amand.[3]
For some time thereafter, Bavo joined Amand in the latter's missionary travels throughoutFrance andFlanders. On one occasion, Bavo met a man whom he had sold into slavery years before. Wishing to atone for his earlier deed, Bavo had the man lead him by a chain to the town jail. Bavo built anabbey on his grounds and became amonk. He distributed his belongings to the poor and lived as a recluse, first in a hollow tree and later in a cell in the forest by the abbey.
His relics were housed at the abbey inGhent[4](in present-dayBelgium).
Bavo is thepatron saint ofGhent,Zellik, andLauwe inBelgium, andHaarlem[5] inthe Netherlands. His feast in theCatholic Church and theEastern Orthodox Church isOctober 1.
He is most often shown in Christian art as aknight with asword andfalcon. The most popular scene is the moment of his conversion, which has many stories attached to it. Because he is so often shown with a falcon, he came to be considered the patron saint offalconry. In medieval Ghent, taxes were paid on Bavo's feast day, and it is for this reason he is often shown holding apurse ormoney bag.
According toRodulfus Glaber, the city ofBamberg is named after him, with Bamberg meaning "Mount of Bavo".
Several churches are dedicated to him, including:
Additionally, the football clubVVSB is named after him.
His picture is also part of thecoat of arms of theAntwerp suburbWilrijk.Rembrandt painted aSaint Bavo, dated between 1662 and 1665.[8]
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