Sant'Urbano

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The name Urban is cited by Dante in the twenty-seventh canto of Paradiso, within the sequence of popes of the early centuries who, like Linus, Anastasius, Sixtus, Pius, and Callixtus, shed their own blood for the faith. The note to the passage specifies that the list is constructed as a silent host, united by martyrdom. The mention occurs in a passage in which the character of Saint Peter denounces the vices of the Church of Dante's time and recalls the purity of the origins. The authorized text includes no further biographical details on Urban, such as dates of pontificate, successor, or personal historical circumstances.