Jacobus de Voragine (1228/9–1298) was a Dominican friar, author, and archbishop of Genoa (1292–8). Best known for the collection of saints’ lives known as the Golden Legend (Latin Legenda aurea), which he compiled in the 1260s, he also wrote hundreds of model sermons, a chronicle of Genoa, and a number of short hagiographical treatises. While he is usually referred to in English-language scholarship by the Latinate form of his name, Jacobus de Voragine, Jacobus refers to himself as Jacobus de Varagine—that is, James from Varazze, a small coastal town west of Genoa. Modern Italian forms of his name such as Jacopo da Varazze reflect those origins (depending on context, …

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Citation: Beneš, Carrie. "Jacobus de Voragine". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 15 August 2018 [https://staging.litencyc.com/php/speople.php?rec=true&UID=5550, accessed 28 March 2024.]

5550 Jacobus de Voragine 1 Historical context notes are intended to give basic and preliminary information on a topic. In some cases they will be expanded into longer entries as the Literary Encyclopedia evolves.

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