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The Legendary Sword in the Stone of San Galgano The Sword in the Stone at Montesiepi, Sienna (Wikimedia Commons) 28 APRIL, 2015 - 14:53 DHWTY The Legendary Sword in the Stone of San Galgano One of the most famous English legends is
that of King Arthur and the sword in the stone. According to the
various versions of the story, the sword could only be pulled out of the
stone by the true king of England. A similar, though much less
well-known, story can be found in the Italian region of Tuscany, and has
even been suggested by some as the inspiration for the English legend.
This is the sword in the stone of San Galgano.
San Galgano is reported to be the first saint whose canonization was conducted through a formal process by the Church. Consequently, much of the San Galgano’s life is known through the documents of this canonization process, which was carried out in 1185, just a few years after his death. Furthermore, there are also a number of works written by later authors about the saint’s life.  San Galgano sticking the sword in the stone. Sculpture in the National Pinacotheque, Siena. (Wikimedia Commons) San Galgano was born in 1148 in
Chiusdino, in the modern Italian province of Siena. His mother is
recorded as Dionisia, whilst (in later works) his father’s name is said
to be Guido or Guidotti. It is said that San Galgano was only concerned
with worldly pleasures in his early life. As a noble, he was a knight
trained in the art of war, and was arrogant as well as violent. All this
changed, however, and the knight subsequently became a hermit.
Durandal - The legendary Sword of Roland 12th century sword found in Russia may have belonged to Ivan the Terrible San Galgano’s conversion began with a
vision of the Archangel Michael, who, incidentally, is commonly depicted
as a warrior saint. In one version of the legend, the Archangel Michael
appeared before San Galgano, and showed him the way to salvation. The
archangel even told the saint the place that he should go. The next
morning, San Galgano declared that he was going to become a hermit, and
would reside in a nearby cave. As one may expect, San Galgano was
ridiculed by his friends and family, and probably thought to have lost
his mind. The saint’s mother, Dionisia, manages to convince her son to
visit his fiancée for the last time before renouncing all worldly
pleasures. Donning his nobleman’s clothes, San Galgano sets out to visit
his fiancée. On his way there, the saint’s horse suddenly reared, and
he was thrown off its back.
 Archangel Michael looking over San Galgano as he rests in the cave. Diocesan Museum. (Wikimedia Commons) Then, an invisible force lifted San
Galgano onto his feet, and a seraphic voice led him to Montesiepi, a
hill close to Chiusdino. When San Galgano reached the foot of the hill,
he was told to stand still and look to the top of Montesiepi. San
Galgano is said to have seen a vision of a round temple with Jesus and
Mary surrounded by the Twelve Apostles. Then, the voice told him to
climb the hill, and the vision faded. When San Galgano reached the top
of Montesiepi, the voice spoke again, commanding him to renounce all his
worldly desires. San Galgano, however, objected, saying that this is as
easy as splitting stones with a sword. To prove his point, San Galgano
drew his sword, and thrust it into a stone. To the saint’s great
amazement, the weapon went through the stone like a hot knife through
butter, and has been stuck in the stone ever since. San Galgano
understood the message loud and clear, and lived on Montesiepi as a
hermit. Several years after San Galgano’s death, a round chapel was
built on the top of Montesiepi, with the sword in the stone as its main
attraction.
 Chapel on top of Montesiepi, Siena For centuries, the sword in the stone was
commonly believed to be a modern fake. A relatively recent research,
however, has shown that the sword is indeed from the 12th century, based
on the composition of the metal and the style of the sword. The
researchers also discovered, with the aid of ground-penetrating radar,
that there is a cavity measuring 2m by 1m beneath the sword, perhaps
containing the body of San Galgano. Lastly, carbon-dating of another
curiosity of the chapel – a pair of mummified hands, confirmed that they
are also from the 12th century. According to one legend, the Devil
supposedly sent an assassin, in the guise of a monk, to Montesiepi. The
wild wolves of the hill, who were befriended by San Galgano, protected
the saint, and attacked the would-be assailant. After the assassin was
killed, his hands were mummified and were subsequently displayed in the
chapel.
References
SOURCE: Ancient Origins
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