Venerable Giles (Aegidius) of Provence (Gard)

Venerable Giles, also known by the French name Gilles, lived approximately from 650 to 720. According to tradition, he came from a noble family, presumably of Greek origin. Arriving in Gaul, he withdrew from the world into a remote, sparsely populated forest in the vicinity of the city of Nîmes in the south of the country, settling in a cave on the bank of the river Gard (Gardon). Nearby lived another hermit, together with whom Venerable Giles built a small chapel for prayer in the Gothic forest. Through his strict ascetic life, fasting, and prayer, Venerable Giles earned the deep respect and veneration of the local inhabitants even during his lifetime. On the site of his labors and later burial, a monastic abbey was founded, named Saint-Gilles-du-Gard, which became one of the significant pilgrimage centers of medieval France on the route to Santiago de Compostela; the abbey complex is now included in the UNESCO World Heritage List. His memory is kept on September 1/14.