Saint Imerius of Immertal | |
Birth Date: | c. 570 |
Death Date: | c. 620 |
Feast Day: | November 13 |
Venerated In: | Roman Catholic Church |
Attributes: | Depicted as a hermit with a bird of prey. |
Imerius (Himerius, Imier, Immer) of Immertal (c. 570 – c. 620) was a monk, hermit, and missionary in the present Swiss Jura. The names of the towns of Saint-Imier and Saint-Ismier refer to him.
Imerius was born in Lugnez, a small village now in the Canton of Jura about 570. He spent some time in Lausanne and made a voyage to Palestine. After he had returned he lived in the valley of Saint-Imier as a hermit. The legend says that Bishop Marius of Lausanne gave him the piece of land at Saint-Imier as a present, but this legend is historical very uncertain. In the 9th century, a monastery was built over his tomb.