Reformer of Monastic Life

Benedict of Aniane, born Witiza, was born around the middle of the 8th century in southern France, into a noble family of Visigothic origin. At the age of twenty-seven, his life changed dramatically. During a military expedition to Pavia, he risked his life trying to save his brother, who had fallen into the River Ticino. Deeply shaken by the event, he vowed to dedicate himself entirely to God. True to his promise, around 774 he entered the monastery of Saint-Seine, near Dijon.