Unveiling Saint Theobald: A Multidisciplinary Bioanthropological Investigation

Saint Theobald of Provins (1033–1066), a French nobleman who embraced voluntary poverty, hermitism, and pilgrimage, represents an early figure in the medieval ascetic movement. He holds historical significance for the diffusion of 11th-century ascetic ideals, as a hermit saint associated with the Camaldolese order and venerated across northern Italy and France. His remains, preserved in the church of Saint Giovanni Battista in Badia Polesine (Italy), have been investigated to authenticate them and reconstruct his appearance and health status. Cranial paleopathological lesions may be compatible with leprosy (Mycobacterium leprae), although not pathognomonic. The absence of endogenous pathogen DNA and the fragmentary postcranial skeleton require us to be cautious, as alternative chronic infectious processes cannot be excluded. Anthropological data, historical documentation, and radiocarbon dating support the plausibility of the association with Saint Theobald. The craniofacial approximation excluded pathological lesions to avoid speculation, and phenotypic elements traits such as pigmentation, hair, and eyes remain hypothetical in the absence of aDNA.