Reliquary theca with relics of 2 early Martyrs: St. Donatus Bishop of Arezzo & St. Vitalis

Round glass-fronted gilt brass reliquary theca housing the first-class ex ossibus (of the bone) relics of two early Martyrs: Saint Donatus of Arezzo, Bishop & Martyr and Saint Vitalis, Martyr. The relics are affixed to a red silk background and identified on manuscript cedulae labels. On the back, the theca is secured with a perfectly-preserved seal of red Spanish wax bearing an imprint of a coat of arms of an unidentified Italian Roman Catholic Bishop.

Saint Vitalis of Milan (Italian: San Vitale) was an early Christian martyr and saint married to Saint Valeria. They have been the parents of the Saints Gervasius and Protasius. According to the Tradition, when he encouraged Saint Ursicinus of Ravenna to be steadfast in his execution, Vitalis was discovered to be a Christian. A judge Paulinus ordered Vitalis to be racked and then buried alive. His feast is commemorated on April 28.

Saint Donatus of Arezzo is the patron saint of Arezzo, who was a bishop of the city. A Passio of Donatus' life was written by a bishop of Arezzo, Severinus who calls Donatus a martyr, though Donatus is described as a bishop and confessor of the faith in ancient sources rather than as a martyr. An early hagiography of Donatus was already known to Gregory the Great. According to tradition, Donatus was martyred on August 7, 362, during the reign of Julian the Apostate, and was a native of Nicomedia.