Baring-Gould’s sources: Not in any ancient Martyrologies. Venerated at Bergamo from the beginning of the nth cent. Authority Her Life by F. Pinamonte, O.P., prior of the Dominican convent at Bergamo in 1266, from the mouths of the people, as her acts were lost. Consequently they are purely legendary, and of no historical value. An office was granted to the Bergamese in 1706 in her honour, and nine lections appointed to be read from this life by Pinamonte, and the 4th Sept, was appointed by the Sacred Congregation of Rites to be her festival.] In the days of S. Marcellus, pope and martyr (a.d. 308310) says the biographer of our saint, there lived in Bergamo a man of royal race named Lupus, who was constituted Duke of Bergamo. He was married to a noble wife, Aleydis or Adelheid by name, and they had a daughter whom they called Grata.
Now there was in Germany a mighty king, and he, hearing of the beauty and virtue of Grata, sent to Bergamo for the damsel to be married to his son. Her married life was brief, the prince died early, and Grata, having learnt the vanity of earthly pleasures, returned to her native place. At this time there were few Christians at Bergamo, and Alexander, standard-bearer of the Theban legion, was there martyred at this time,1 in the place called Plotacius, where 1 See S. Alexander, Aug. 26.
S. Grata. Crotacius, grandfather of Grata, had erected a villa and was buried. Grata buried the body of the martyr, and built over it a church; and then ordered her steward to kill a pig and roast the flesh, and regale those who had laboured at burying the martyr. The steward accordingly slaughtered the pig, and the mourning Christians consoled themselves on a banquet of pork; but what was the amazement of the steward when he returned to the stye, to find the pig, or one uncommonly like him, grunting there as usual, and clamorous for his barley meal.
Duke Lupus and the Duchess Aleydis now erected in Bergamo the church of the Saviour, and on the death of the duke he was buried in it, and becoming famous for miracles wrought at his tomb, is regarded as one of the local saints. His widow Aleydis built two more churches, those of S. Mary and S. Michael, and died in the odour of sanctity. S. Grata erected a hospital, and died beloved and admired by all.
Such is the story. It is impossible to admit that S. Grata was, as is said, a contemporary with S. Marcellus. Crotacius, said to be her grandfather, lived in a.d. 270. But Aleydis or Adelheid is a Teutonic name, and Lupus is probably the Latin form of Wolf. Both were apparently Lombards [a Germanic people who ruled much of Italy from 568 to 774], perhaps Wolf was the first Duke of Bergamo; there certainly were no dukes with local titles in the 4th century in Italy. The fact of Lupus, Aleydis, and Grata being regarded as founders of several of the churches in Bergamo, point to their having lived long subsequent to the date attributed to them by Pinamonte, probably after the Lombard invasion in a.d. 568-570.
