The name and its notable bearers
Quintino traces its roots to Quintinus, a Latin diminutive of Quintus, a name that designated a fifth son. Its French form is Quentin; in Spanish, it is Quintín. The Italian form remains relatively uncommon and is found more often in northern Italy.
One notable bearer was Quintino Sella, a scientist and finance minister of the Kingdom of Italy. Born on July 7, 1827, in Sella di Mosso near Biella, he held the finance portfolio three times: in 1862, 1864-65 and 1869-73. After leading the first all-Italian ascent of Monviso in 1863, he helped establish the Club Alpino Italiano in Turin that year. The mineral sellaite was named for him in 1869. Sella died on March 14, 1884.
The name was also borne by Quintino Bocaiuva, the Brazilian journalist and politician who became the republic's first foreign minister.
Quentin's life in religious tradition
Few details of Quentin's life survive in ancient sources; much of his story comes from hagiographic tradition. That account describes him as a Roman citizen, possibly the son of a senator named Zeno, who traveled to Gaul with Saint Lucian of Beauvais to preach the Gospel in its northern cities.
His public preaching in Amiens brought him to the attention of Riziovaro, a prefect appointed by Emperor Maximian. The prefect ordered Quentin's arrest and tried to force him to abandon his faith through imprisonment in chains and torture. Quentin refused.
When the prefect moved to Reims, then the capital of Gallia Belgica, he ordered Quentin transferred there for trial. On the journey, near Augusta Veromanduorum, Quentin escaped and began preaching again. He was recaptured, tortured and beheaded, and his body was cast into the Somme marshes.
The legend continues 55 years later, when a blind woman from a patrician family was inspired to visit the site. According to the story, Quentin's remains rose from the water, giving off a scent of sanctity. The woman buried them on a mountaintop and built a small chapel there, after which she recovered her sight.
The Roman Martyrology places Quentin's feast on October 31. The observance marks his death rather than his birth: in Christian usage, the dies natalis is the day of birth into heaven. His martyrdom also became a subject for art, including a painting Pontormo made in 1517-18 that is preserved in the Pinacoteca di Sansepolcro.
In Italy, Quentin is the patron saint of Alliste in the province of Lecce, Gossolengo in the Piacenza area and Montechiarugolo in the Parma area. Nails are his identifying attribute, representing his martyrdom.
The tomb, relics and basilica at Saint-Quentin
The burial place became the center of the settlement now known as Saint-Quentin. Another tradition holds that Saint Eligius, also called Eloi, the bishop of Noyon, rediscovered the tomb in 641. He distributed nails, teeth and hair as relics and rebuilt the church that stood before the present basilica.
Construction of the Basilica of Saint-Quentin took place in stages from the 12th through the 15th centuries on the martyr's traditional burial site. In 1257, King Louis IX of France, known as Saint Louis, attended a solemn ceremony transferring Quentin's relics to the choir of the collegiate church.
The basilica ranks second only to Amiens Cathedral in size among Picardy's religious buildings. It measures 133 meters long and 40 meters high; its nave is 42 meters wide, and the building has 110 windows. Pope Pius IX granted it minor basilica status in 1876. Severe damage during World War I required reconstruction, and worship resumed there in 1956.
War and revolution also took a toll on the relics. During the Spanish siege of Saint-Quentin in 1557, many reliquaries and their contents disappeared. The French Revolution brought the destruction of most of those that remained, although Quentin's gilded skull and hand have been preserved.
Modern Saint-Quentin had 52,813 residents in 2023 and is by far the largest city in the Aisne department. It is a sub-prefecture, however; Laon is the departmental capital.
Other October 31 observances
The day's commemorations also include Saint Wolfgang of Regensburg, a bishop of Swabian origin; Saint Alphonsus Rodríguez, a Spanish Jesuit who spent years serving as a college doorman; Saint Epimachius of Pelusium; Saint Foillanus, an Irish abbot; Saint Antoninus, bishop of Milan; and Blessed Christopher of Romagna.
Volfango, Alfonso, Antonino, Foillano and Epimachio are therefore also among the names celebrated on October 31. The evening is Halloween, the eve of All Saints' Day, when costumed children fill the streets in many Naples neighborhoods.
Sending a name-day greeting
A greeting can be as simple as wishing the person a happy name day, with a personal memory or a meaningful date added. A longer message may suit a parent or close relative, while a brief note can work for a colleague or acquaintance. For a Quintino who lives far away, a voice message is another way to mark the occasion.
