Matrull

Saint Matrull (Madruina or Madrona) was a Benedictine nun, supposed abbess of the monastery of Sant Pere de les Puel·les at Barcelona, and she died in 999. She was venerated as a saint in that monastery, though she was never canonized; the cult has vanished since the 19th century.

The legend was probably built around a real person and real events, to which invented details were added. The real event was the destruction of the monastery of Sant Pere by the Saracens of the army of al-⁠Mansur in 985, in the time of Abbess Ermetruit, who may have become Na Madrui, Matrui, Matrull or Madruina, according to the sources. The legend says Madruina was the first abbess of the monastery, which is not exact, since the first was Adelaida Bonafilla, in 945. In 991 Ermetruit appears, as Na Madrui, as a witness in a trial meant to restore the patrimony of the community. According to the Chronicle of Sant Pere de les Puel·les she died in 999 and was soon venerated as a saint.

The story, kept in the Chronicle, now lost but transcribed in other chronicles, says that as the Muslims approached the monastery the abbess cut off her ears and nose with a knife, and the young nuns disfigured their faces with their own hands so they would not be violated. The nuns who survived were taken and sold as slaves, in different places. Madrui was taken to Mallorca as a slave. After seven years, around 992, some merchants from Barcelona came to Mallorca to buy cotton; one of them, a relative of hers, was recognized by her as she was passing in the street. She told him her story and asked him to free her; moved, the merchant hid her in a sack of cotton on the ship on which they were to return to Barcelona. Her master noticed she had fled and had her searched for; soldiers inspected the cargoes of the ships in the harbor and pierced the sacks with large needles. Madruina was wounded by four or five, but did not move or say anything, though the wounds were large and bled abundantly. After the soldiers left, the merchant hurried the ship out of the harbor so he could tend her. At Barcelona, healed, she was taken to the monastery, where a servant recognized her and told the others that she was the former abbess Madruina. The community rejoiced and wanted her to be abbess again, but Madruina refused and the abbess who had been chosen meanwhile, Adelaida Bonafilla, remained. She is honored by the faithful, without synodal canonization.