SaintGilles

Saint-Gilles is the French form of Saint Giles, a Christian saint venerated in Catholic and Orthodox traditions. Early legends describe him as a 7th-century hermit who lived in what is now parts of France; reliable biographical details are scarce. His cult spread across Western Europe, and he became associated with miracles, charitable works, and protection of beggars, cripples, and the disabled. In art and iconography he is commonly depicted with a hind, a symbol linked to his legend.

The name is widely used for places and institutions in Francophone regions. Notable examples include Saint-Gilles, a municipality in the Brussels-Capital Region of Belgium, and Saint-Gilles, a commune in the Gard department of southern France. Dozens of churches, streets, and neighborhoods bear the name Saint-Gilles.

In medieval Europe the saint’s veneration contributed to the establishment of religious sites and pilgrimage routes bearing his name; today the toponym remains common, and the form Saint-Gilles is encountered in place names, churches, and schools.

See also Saint Giles.