San Silvestro, the saint celebrated on New Year's Eve. Protector of masons and stonecutters, he was the 33rd bishop of Rome. He became pope on January 31, 314 and remained on the Chair of Peter for 21 years. Silvestro, dies as Vicar of Christ on 31 December 335; by his will, he is buried in the Catacombs of Priscilla.
new Year's Eve
During his pontificate, in 325, the Emperor Constantine instituted the Council of Nicaea, the first Christian ecumenical council. It is the time when Christians no longer have to hide and be ashamed of their faith. We therefore need places where we can meet and celebrate the rites and Pope Sylvester has eight basilicas built. Furthermore, it establishes new rules for the ordinations of clerics, for the administration of the sacraments and for the support of the poor.
According to some unconfirmed sources, Sylvester baptized the emperor Constantine who gave him the investiture of temporal power. Narrations immortalized by the frescoes preserved in Rome in the basilica of the Santi Quattro Coronati. It is certain, however, that it was San Silvestro himself who began celebrating Sunday as the day of the Lord.
The legend of the dragon
The most famous legend that accompanies the life of San Silvestro is that of dragon, holed up in a cave on the Palatine near a lake. According to popular belief, the monster had the power to kill people only with its terrible breath. Pope Sylvester, which had already defeated another beast similar to Poggio Catino, decides to go to the monster's lair to put an end to the terror created by the dragon. Silvestro enters the cave only with the crucifix in his hand, invoking the help of the Virgin Mary.
The dragon has no violent reaction, on the contrary, it calms down. So Silvestro manages to tie him up and take him on a leash like a dog in the presence of the people who suppress him. This striking episode has the power to convert pagan priests. The monster's body is transported to the Roman Forum and is buried in the temple of Castor and Pollux. Nearby Pope Sylvester then built the church of Santa Maria Liberatrice.
