' s ▁mart yr dom ▁is ▁given ▁as ▁ 1 ▁December ▁ 2 9 2 , ▁during ▁the ▁reign ▁of ▁Dioc let ian , ▁whose ▁later ▁per sec ution ▁of ▁Christians ▁is ▁well ▁known . ▁ ▁For ▁the ▁version ▁of ▁the ▁story ▁which ▁places ▁it ▁in ▁the ▁first ▁part ▁of ▁the ▁e ighth ▁century , ▁the ▁context ▁is ▁that ▁of ▁the ▁struggle ▁between ▁those ▁Lomb ards ▁who ▁remained ▁attached ▁to ▁their ▁A rian ▁belief s ▁and ▁the ▁soon - to - be - v ict orious ▁Tr init arian ▁new ▁guard , ▁associated ▁particularly ▁with ▁the ▁Catholic ▁The od ol inda ▁who ▁had ▁been ▁Lomb ard ▁queen ▁from ▁ 5 8 8 ▁to ▁ 6 2 8 , ▁and ▁to ▁which ▁King ▁L uit pr and ▁belonged . ▁ ▁Leg acy ▁ ▁Saint ▁N ata le ▁is ▁held ▁to ▁have ▁escaped ▁the ▁mass acre ▁and ▁to ▁have ▁become ▁priest ▁of ▁the ▁church ▁which ▁was ▁newly ▁dedicated ▁to ▁E vas ius ▁and ▁in ▁which ▁his ▁remains ▁were ▁sep ul ch red . ▁ ▁At ▁the ▁same ▁time ▁the ▁church ▁was ▁perhaps ▁re built ▁on ▁a ▁larger ▁scale ▁with ▁the ▁support ▁of ▁L uit pr and . ▁ ▁Cas ale , ▁now ▁itself ▁named ▁after ▁the ▁saint ▁as ▁" C as ale ▁di ▁Sant ’ E vas io ", ▁grew ▁up ▁around ▁the ▁church ▁during ▁the ▁middle ▁ages . ▁A ▁new ▁and ▁much ▁larger ▁church ▁was ▁consec r ated ▁by ▁Pope ▁Pas ch al ▁II ▁in ▁ 1 1 0 7 . ▁ ▁In ▁