Teobaldo Roggeri was a 12th-century Italian tradesman who lived a life of extreme poverty and devotion. Born into a noble family in the Ligurian region, he chose to abandon his high social status to live as a humble shoemaker and porter. He dedicated his meager earnings to assisting the impoverished people within the Diocese of Alba, often sleeping outside the local church to maintain his austere lifestyle.
Life and service
After being orphaned, Roggeri moved to Alba to apprentice as a cobbler. He lived a life of chastity and worked as a porter, transporting grain to support himself. He was known for his generosity, famously giving away a sack of wheat to the needy, which led to a story where he replaced the missing flour with sand, only for the bag to miraculously contain flour upon arrival.
Veneration
Following his death in 1150, his unmarked grave became a site of pilgrimage. His remains were rediscovered in 1429 by the Bishop of Alba, an event accompanied by the legend of church bells ringing spontaneously. In 1841, Pope Gregory XVI beatified him after recognizing the long-standing popular devotion to his memory. His relics are currently kept in the Alba Cathedral.