He was born in the village of Vandano, near
Cerreto Sannita, then part of the
Duchy of Benevento, toward the end of the papacy of
Gregory the Great. At that time, Benevento had recently (in 590) been captured by
Arian Lombards from the
Trinitarian Romans. According to the ninth century
vitae, he received a Christian education, and spent a good deal of time studying the
Christian scriptures. He took
holy orders as soon as allowed to do so, and was immediately employed by the local bishop as a preacher, a task for which he had considerable talent. Shortly thereafter, he was made the
curate of St. Basil's Church in nearby
Morcone, At the time, the people of Benevento still entertained some idolatrous superstitions, including veneration of a golden viper and a local walnut tree. The local Lombard prince,
Romuald I son of the Arian Lombard King
Grimoald I, was himself involved in these activities. Barbatus regularly preached against them only to be ignored. The presiding bishop of Benevento, Ildebrand, died during the siege, which ended as Barbatus had foretold, with the defeat of Constans. After the withdrawal of the invaders, Barbatus was made bishop on March 10, 663 and continued his efforts to eliminate superstition. In 673 Duke Romuald placed the
grotto of St. Michael at Gargano under the care of Barbatus. In 680, he assisted in a council held by
Pope Agatho, and took part in the sixth
general council held in
Constantinople in 681 regarding the
Monothelites. He died shortly after the end of the council, on 19 February 682, at about seventy years of age. Barbatus is commemorated on February 19. The
Roman Martyrology lists Barbatus as one of the chief patrons of the city of Benevento. He is also the patron of
Cicciano,
Castelvenere,
Casalattico and
Valle dell'Angelo. ==See also==