Herculanus of Perugia was a 6th-century bishop who served the people of Perugia. During the siege of the city by the Ostrogoth king Totila in 549, he reportedly attempted a strategic deception by feeding grain to a lamb to suggest the city possessed abundant food supplies. This tactic failed to prevent the city's fall. Following the capture of Perugia, the bishop was executed, an event that led to his recognition as a saint and his status as the patron of the city.
Life and death
According to the writings of Pope Gregory the Great, Herculanus faced martyrdom after Totila seized Perugia. The king ordered the bishop to be flayed, but the soldier assigned to the task showed mercy by decapitating him instead. It was later reported that his head miraculously reunited with his body forty days after his death.
Veneration
The saint is honored in the Catholic tradition, with his primary feast day occurring on November 7 and a second celebration on March 1. Historically, residents of the castle of Cisterna in Umbria provided three pounds of wax to Perugia to observe his feast day. He remains a significant figure as the patron saint of Perugia.