![\"\"](\"https:\/\/caminodesantiagofrances.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2024\/02\/San-Vitores-Camino-de-Santiago-Frances.jpg\")
It is believed that the name \u201cVitores\u201d, by which he is known today, was given to him gradually over the two centuries following his martyrdom, deriving from the Latin word \u201cvictoria\u201d and\/or \u201cv\u00edtores\u201d (celebration or festivity).<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Biography of San Vitores<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\nOrigins and activity of San Vitores<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\nSan V\u00edctor was born in the Burgos town of Cerezo de R\u00edo Tir\u00f3n in the early 9th century. After being ordained he became a priest at the church of Santa Mar\u00eda de Villalba in his home town, during a Muslim offensive in the area in the 9th century. Because of the historical period he lived through, he witnessed many believers from his town converting to the invaders’ Islam.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
After feeling a call to a more spiritual life, he became a hermit, settling in a cave he carved out himself near O\u00f1a. After 7 years of isolation, according to tradition he received the apparition of an angel, and set off for his home town, which was then under siege by Muslim forces. Through his preaching he managed to encourage many Christian defenders of the region and convert just as many Muslim attackers, among them Coloma, daughter of the king of Gaza and future martyr saint.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Martyrdom of San Vitores<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
A target the invaders sought to bring down, he was captured while heading to Quintanilla de las Due\u00f1as to preach. In front of that town, as he encouraged Christians to resist without converting to Islam, he was crucified. On the third day, still alive and continuing to preach, he was taken down from the cross and beheaded.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Tradition has it that after being beheaded, Vitores rose from the ground, picked up his head, blessed his executioners and headed towards the town of Cerezo, causing his executioners to convert to Catholicism. Back in the town he continued preaching and performing miracles until he went to a cave in Cubillas, near Cerezo, to die there. His drive in evangelisation and in keeping Catholicism alive in the towns of the area made him a driving force of the Reconquista .<\/p>\n\n
Iconography of San Vitores<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\nSan Vitores is depicted in several ways:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n- As a priest carrying his head in his hands, a clear allusion to the way he was martyred.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Wearing a dark-coloured tunic instead of typical priestly vestments (and with his head in his hands), representing his years as a hermit or his travels through the area where he preached.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- With the cross, a symbol of his preaching.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- With a palm in his hand, a symbol of martyrdom.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
Veneration of San Vitores<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\nThe martyr’s remains were buried in a stone tomb in a small cave near Cubillas (Cerezo de R\u00edo Tir\u00f3n), where he was said to have died. Later, in the 15th century, they were moved to a convent that the Constables of Castile had built in his honour, in the town of Fresno del R\u00edo Tir\u00f3n, where they were placed in a chest in a place of honour within the convent. This was first occupied by Dominicans and later by Franciscans, who were forced to abandon the convent after the Mendiz\u00e1bal Confiscation. It has been uninhabited ever since, although it has been renovated recently.<\/p>\n\n
The fact that his tomb was located on the Camino Frances<\/a><\/strong> helped his devotion spread. It has extended to other places in the provinces of Burgos, La Rioja<\/a><\/strong>, \u00c1lava, Cantabria, Segovia, Palencia, Orense and the Province of A Coru\u00f1a<\/a><\/strong>. In this way, San Vitores is patron saint, besides his home town, of O\u00f1a, Zorraqu\u00edn, B\u00e1rcena de Pienza, Belorado<\/a><\/strong>, Huerta de Arriba, Villoviado and the Barrio San Vitores of the town of Fr\u00edas in Burgos; Casalarreina and Zorraqu\u00edn in La Rioja; Berzosilla in Palencia; Grajera in Segovia; and other localities, especially in Galicia.<\/p>\n\n\n\nIn addition, for centuries, many neighbouring villages, both in La Rioja<\/a><\/strong> and in the Province of Burgos<\/a><\/strong>, have made a pilgrimage in May to honour San Vitores<\/strong> at what is now the former convent. Some of these villages have lost the custom, and it is kept up in only a few, such as Leiva, which goes on the first Saturday of May; Tormantos, Fresno de R\u00edo Tir\u00f3n, Redecilla del Campo<\/strong>, Quintanilla San Garc\u00eda, Castildelgado<\/a><\/strong> and Cerezo de R\u00edo Tir\u00f3n, depending on available dates.<\/p>\n\nSan Vitores<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
San V\u00edctor was born in the Burgos town of Cerezo de R\u00edo Tir\u00f3n in the early 9th century. After being ordained he became a priest at the church of Santa Mar\u00eda de Villalba in his home town, during a Muslim offensive in the area in the 9th century. Because of the historical period he lived through, he witnessed many believers from his town converting to the invaders’ Islam.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
After feeling a call to a more spiritual life, he became a hermit, settling in a cave he carved out himself near O\u00f1a. After 7 years of isolation, according to tradition he received the apparition of an angel, and set off for his home town, which was then under siege by Muslim forces. Through his preaching he managed to encourage many Christian defenders of the region and convert just as many Muslim attackers, among them Coloma, daughter of the king of Gaza and future martyr saint.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Martyrdom of San Vitores<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
A target the invaders sought to bring down, he was captured while heading to Quintanilla de las Due\u00f1as to preach. In front of that town, as he encouraged Christians to resist without converting to Islam, he was crucified. On the third day, still alive and continuing to preach, he was taken down from the cross and beheaded.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Tradition has it that after being beheaded, Vitores rose from the ground, picked up his head, blessed his executioners and headed towards the town of Cerezo, causing his executioners to convert to Catholicism. Back in the town he continued preaching and performing miracles until he went to a cave in Cubillas, near Cerezo, to die there. His drive in evangelisation and in keeping Catholicism alive in the towns of the area made him a driving force of the Reconquista .<\/p>\n\n
Iconography of San Vitores<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\nSan Vitores is depicted in several ways:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n- As a priest carrying his head in his hands, a clear allusion to the way he was martyred.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Wearing a dark-coloured tunic instead of typical priestly vestments (and with his head in his hands), representing his years as a hermit or his travels through the area where he preached.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- With the cross, a symbol of his preaching.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- With a palm in his hand, a symbol of martyrdom.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
Veneration of San Vitores<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\nThe martyr’s remains were buried in a stone tomb in a small cave near Cubillas (Cerezo de R\u00edo Tir\u00f3n), where he was said to have died. Later, in the 15th century, they were moved to a convent that the Constables of Castile had built in his honour, in the town of Fresno del R\u00edo Tir\u00f3n, where they were placed in a chest in a place of honour within the convent. This was first occupied by Dominicans and later by Franciscans, who were forced to abandon the convent after the Mendiz\u00e1bal Confiscation. It has been uninhabited ever since, although it has been renovated recently.<\/p>\n\n
The fact that his tomb was located on the Camino Frances<\/a><\/strong> helped his devotion spread. It has extended to other places in the provinces of Burgos, La Rioja<\/a><\/strong>, \u00c1lava, Cantabria, Segovia, Palencia, Orense and the Province of A Coru\u00f1a<\/a><\/strong>. In this way, San Vitores is patron saint, besides his home town, of O\u00f1a, Zorraqu\u00edn, B\u00e1rcena de Pienza, Belorado<\/a><\/strong>, Huerta de Arriba, Villoviado and the Barrio San Vitores of the town of Fr\u00edas in Burgos; Casalarreina and Zorraqu\u00edn in La Rioja; Berzosilla in Palencia; Grajera in Segovia; and other localities, especially in Galicia.<\/p>\n\n\n\nIn addition, for centuries, many neighbouring villages, both in La Rioja<\/a><\/strong> and in the Province of Burgos<\/a><\/strong>, have made a pilgrimage in May to honour San Vitores<\/strong> at what is now the former convent. Some of these villages have lost the custom, and it is kept up in only a few, such as Leiva, which goes on the first Saturday of May; Tormantos, Fresno de R\u00edo Tir\u00f3n, Redecilla del Campo<\/strong>, Quintanilla San Garc\u00eda, Castildelgado<\/a><\/strong> and Cerezo de R\u00edo Tir\u00f3n, depending on available dates.<\/p>\n\nSan Vitores<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Veneration of San Vitores<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\nThe martyr’s remains were buried in a stone tomb in a small cave near Cubillas (Cerezo de R\u00edo Tir\u00f3n), where he was said to have died. Later, in the 15th century, they were moved to a convent that the Constables of Castile had built in his honour, in the town of Fresno del R\u00edo Tir\u00f3n, where they were placed in a chest in a place of honour within the convent. This was first occupied by Dominicans and later by Franciscans, who were forced to abandon the convent after the Mendiz\u00e1bal Confiscation. It has been uninhabited ever since, although it has been renovated recently.<\/p>\n\n
The fact that his tomb was located on the Camino Frances<\/a><\/strong> helped his devotion spread. It has extended to other places in the provinces of Burgos, La Rioja<\/a><\/strong>, \u00c1lava, Cantabria, Segovia, Palencia, Orense and the Province of A Coru\u00f1a<\/a><\/strong>. In this way, San Vitores is patron saint, besides his home town, of O\u00f1a, Zorraqu\u00edn, B\u00e1rcena de Pienza, Belorado<\/a><\/strong>, Huerta de Arriba, Villoviado and the Barrio San Vitores of the town of Fr\u00edas in Burgos; Casalarreina and Zorraqu\u00edn in La Rioja; Berzosilla in Palencia; Grajera in Segovia; and other localities, especially in Galicia.<\/p>\n\n\n\nIn addition, for centuries, many neighbouring villages, both in La Rioja<\/a><\/strong> and in the Province of Burgos<\/a><\/strong>, have made a pilgrimage in May to honour San Vitores<\/strong> at what is now the former convent. Some of these villages have lost the custom, and it is kept up in only a few, such as Leiva, which goes on the first Saturday of May; Tormantos, Fresno de R\u00edo Tir\u00f3n, Redecilla del Campo<\/strong>, Quintanilla San Garc\u00eda, Castildelgado<\/a><\/strong> and Cerezo de R\u00edo Tir\u00f3n, depending on available dates.<\/p>\n\nSan Vitores<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
In addition, for centuries, many neighbouring villages, both in La Rioja<\/a><\/strong> and in the Province of Burgos<\/a><\/strong>, have made a pilgrimage in May to honour San Vitores<\/strong> at what is now the former convent. Some of these villages have lost the custom, and it is kept up in only a few, such as Leiva, which goes on the first Saturday of May; Tormantos, Fresno de R\u00edo Tir\u00f3n, Redecilla del Campo<\/strong>, Quintanilla San Garc\u00eda, Castildelgado<\/a><\/strong> and Cerezo de R\u00edo Tir\u00f3n, depending on available dates.<\/p>\n\nSan Vitores<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n