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aka Anthony of Egypt, was born in 251 in Egypt. Following the death of his parents when he was about 20, he insured that his sister completed her education, sold all of his belongings, & gave the proceeds to the poor. He then joined the Anchorites (religious hermits) & lived as a hermit until he died in 356 in a cave on Mount Colzim in the desert where he had secluded himself. At some point, he met with his sister again, & she too had withdrawn from the world & was directing a community of nuns. He is often portrayed with a pig at his side, although his relationship with pigs is unclear. Because his intervention aided in the treatment of skin diseases, which were sometimes treated with applications of pork fat, he was often shown in art accompanied by a pig. People who saw the art work thought there was a direct connection between Anthony & pigs, so people who worked with swine took him as their patron. More info here: http://saints.sqpn.com/sainta06.htm
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Western Europe
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