The authorities then tortured Agricola, but failed to make him give up his religion.

[1] In 392 or 393, Eusebius, bishop of Bologna, had announced the discovery of the relics of Vitalis and Agricola in a Jewish cemetery in the city.

The cult of these two martyrs was diffused in Western Europe due to the efforts of Ambrose, who transferred some of the relics to Milan and gave some to Florence.

He took some of the blood, parts of the cross, and the nails to Florence, placing these relics in the church erected by a woman named Juliana.

The cult had as its center the city of Bologna, where a basilica was built to hold the relics.