A Wordly Knight to a Hermit Saint, Galgano Guidotti and His Miraculous Sword

Here is a story for every Knight of the Immaculata, featuring Our Lady, the Apostles, and most prominently, Saint Michael the Archangel. Could it be the source of the legend of King Arthur’s sword? This is a saint of whom I had never heard. And, being that he was the first saint canonized (1185) under the newly promulgated canonical process for canonizations, the history of his life is scrupulously authentic. The Acts of his canonization are still preserved in Rome with all the sworn testimonies of the witnesses to his miracles. The relic of his sword stands to this day embedded in a rock on Mount Siepi near Chiusdino and Sienna in Italy. The rock and sword are dated to be over eight hundred years old.

Tradition in Action, Hugh O’Reilly: Galgano Guidotti was born into a noble family in Chiusdino near Sienna in the year 1148. He became a knight who was famous, sad to say, for his fierce temper, violence and worldly life. One night the Archangel Michael appeared in a dream to Sir Galgano, who was 32 years-of-age, and beckoned to him to follow, for the Archangel would show him the path to God. The knight, surprised but fearless, followed him down a narrow difficult path to Monte Siepi. Eventually they stopped before a circular-shaped church, outside of which the Twelve Apostles were standing. They greeted Galgano and told him what he should do and where he should go. Read the rest of the story here.