death_date attributes feast_day imagesize venerated_in major_shrine image article_title name
401 ad old cloak to isola giulio over a lake which is full priest of serpents with his staff , sailing on his january 31 200px roman catholic church eastern orthodox church isola san giulio juliusofnovara.jpg julius of novara
 saint julius of novara
julius of novara

julius of novara , also julius of aegina -lrb- died 401 ad -rrb- was a missionary priest to northern italy .
his cult is centered at lake orta in the novarese highlands , and in particular on the island which has been named for him since at least the eighth century , isola san giulio , and where his presumed relics are preserved in the crypt , called `` scurolo '' , of a basilica dedicated to him .
few facts are known about his career .
in the earliest vita , which dates from no earlier than the eighth century and is of a character as much legendary as historical , the account of his life is interlaced with that of his brother julian -lrb- giuliano -rrb- , a deacon whose name is similar enough to suggest that they may have been the same person , but now we know -lrb- thanks to recent archaeological finds in gozzano 's previous parish church , s. lorenzo -rrb- that they both existed .
the `` roman martyrology '' commemorates only julius .
it has been said the julius ' name was recited as part of the ambrosian rite during the fifth and sixth centuries ; however , it has also been claimed that this julius referred to pope julius i. julius and julian may have been greeks who came to rome before establishing themselves at lake orta .
their legend states that they were educated in the christian faith by their parents .
they are said to have been ordered by theodosius i to destroy pagan altars and sacred woods and to build christian churches .
they built one hundred churches , according to their tradition .
the ninety-ninth church is said to have been built at gozzano , and dedicated to saint lawrence .
julian was buried there .
the hundredth church was built by julius on the island that bears his name ; he dedicated it to saints peter and paul .
