Maurus of Parentium was a 4th-century Roman bishop who served as the first leader of the diocese in the city of Parentium, known today as Poreç. While some traditions suggest he was a nobleman of Roman descent, other accounts, such as the ninth-century Martyrologium by Rabanus Maurus, describe him as a pilgrim arriving from Africa during the era of the Diocletian Persecution. He remains a significant figure in the history of the Istrian region.
Life and history
As the first bishop of the local diocese, Maurus is central to the early Christian history of Poreç. His relics were originally kept in an early basilica built during the latter half of the 4th century. Although his remains were taken to Genoa by the Genoese in 1354, they were eventually returned to his original see in 1934.
Veneration and art
The saint is honored on November 21. He is represented in the mosaics of the current basilica in Poreç, where a votive chapel houses his relics. Furthermore, he appears in the Chapel of San Venanzio within the Lateran Baptistry, a space established by Pope John IV to honor saints from Dalmatia and Istria.