Valerio of Bierzo facts for kids

Valerio of Bierzo (born around 630, died around 695) was a special kind of monk and hermit from a place called Bierzo in ancient Spain. He lived a very simple life, focusing on his spiritual journey. Valerio wrote many things, and some of his writings still exist today. In these writings, he often talked about the difficulties he faced.

Valerio's Life Story

Valerio grew up in a wealthy family, part of the important Visigothic people who ruled Spain back then. After an exciting youth, Valerio decided to leave his old life behind. He wanted to live a more spiritual and quiet life.

Becoming a Monk and Hermit

For a while, Valerio was a monk at the Monastery of Compludo. But he soon left the monastery. He preferred to live alone in a "desert hermitage" near the city of Astorga, Spain. This was a quiet place where he could focus on his faith.

Challenges and New Homes

Valerio had some disagreements with a local priest. But some kind people helped him. They built a church for him on a large estate called Ebronanto. Valerio lived there as a hermit in a small room next to the altar. The family who owned the estate gave him food and other supplies.

However, the head of this estate, a man named Ricimer, tore down the church. He built a new one, perhaps wanting Valerio to become a priest there. Valerio saw this as a challenge to his quiet, reclusive life. Luckily for Valerio, the new church fell down, and Ricimer was killed.

Later in his life, Valerio was joined by his nephew and a servant. The three men lived together in another hermitage. They built a small church on a hillside near their living spaces.

Valerio's Connection to San Pedro

Valerio was also connected to the Abbey of San Pedro de Montes. He wrote for the monks who lived there. Later writers sometimes mistakenly thought he had been the leader, or abbot, of the abbey. An old writing found in the church of San Pedro called him "sanctus." This word simply meant "honored" or "holy" at that time.

Valerio's Writings

Valerio wrote several short pieces that are still around today. These writings include:

• Three short stories about visions of the afterlife seen by three different monks.
• A summary of a trip to the Holy Land by a traveler named Egeria. She lived a long time before Valerio.
• Some short lessons for monks on how to live their spiritual lives.
• A small collection of poems.

Personal Stories of Struggle

Three of Valerio's short writings are especially important. They are like his personal diaries. In these, he describes the many difficulties and unfair treatments he faced. He wrote about problems with local priests and other people. Valerio often felt that these sufferings were caused by the devil himself.

A Misunderstood Work

For many years, people thought Valerio wrote a special story called the Vita Fructuosi. This story was about the life of Fructuosus of Braga, another important religious figure. However, from the 16th century until the mid-1900s, it was wrongly believed that Valerio wrote it. We now know he did not.