The recently renovated municipal portico now houses the tombstone of “Vir illustris Pierius”.
Pierius is identified as the “Comes domesticorum” of Odoacer, in charge of organising the evacuation of Roman citizens from Noricum to Italy. He met his demise in the Battle of the Adda River on 10 August, 490, believed to have taken place not far from Garlate. Evidence of his burial in Garlate surfaced by way of an early Christian inscription discovered in 1896, found in two large fragments in the apse of the Church of St. Stephen of Garlate during renovation works on the building. The larger fragment, measuring 70 cm high, 28 cm wide and 8 cm thick, was translated as follows: “To preserve his memory. Here lies at peace “PIERIUS”, an esteemed man, who lived in the century for more or less 50 years, buried four days before the Ides of August under the second consulate of Longinus and Faustus, illustrious men.”
(Source: “Testimonianze archeologiche a S. Stefano a Garlate”, 2002)
