Radolt of Verona

Radolt of Verona, also called Ratold or Radolf, was bishop of Verona from 799 or 802 to 840 and the founder of the settlement of Radolfzell on Lake Constance. He was born around 770 and died at Radolfzell on 13 September, between 840 and 858.

He was an Alemannian and studied at the famous school of the monastery of Reichenau. After Charlemagne conquered the Lombard kingdom, he joined the cathedral clergy of Verona under Bishop Egino, also an Alemannian. In 799 Egino withdrew to Reichenau, and Radolt succeeded him in the see and served as chaplain at the court of Pepin of Italy. He restored the monastery of San Zeno in Verona, in 807, and in 813 divided the income of the estate of Bovolone among the bishop, the clergy, the cathedral works and the care of the poor. In the struggles after 815 he sided with Louis the Pious. In 834 he helped free the empress Judith and bring her back to Aachen, and thereby made enemies in Italy and could not return to his see.

In 826, following the example of Egino, he founded in his native land a hermitage, from which the abbey and town of Radolfzell later grew. He endowed it with relics of Saints Theopontus and Senesius of Treviso and of Saint Zeno of Verona. In 830 he gave the abbey of Reichenau relics of Saint Mark the Evangelist, obtained at Venice. From 834 he lived mostly at Radolfzell, and in 840 he formally gave up the see of Verona.

His tomb is in the minster of Radolfzell. He was canonized locally in 1300. He is remembered on 13 September. He is honored in the West; no Orthodox synodal canonization is known.