Since the time of the proto-Armenians (probably of Thraco-Phrygian origin), who entered Asia Minor via the Balkans in the 13th century BCE to conquer the Urartu, Armenia quickly became a land of exchange with Europe and the Mediterranean world. Evidence of this includes Urartian objects in Etruscan tombs, references in Greco-Roman accounts, medieval saints and relics from Armenia revered across Europe including those of Saint Gregory the Illuminator Saint Gregory the Illuminator
Moses of Chorene's History of Armenia relates that Gregory the Illuminator – who was, according to the mid-fifth-century account by Agathangelos, the son of a Parthian lord – converted the Armenian kingdom to Christianity around 301-304 CE. The relics of Saint Gregory are considered the most precious of all the Armenian relics in the West. They are preserved in Naples, in one of the city's most beautiful churches and in the small town of Nardò, near Lecce, for whom Gregory is also the patron saint. According to legend, the saint saved the lives of the inhabitants during a terrible earthquake in the mid-18th century : despite the almost total destruction of the town, there were no casualties. Saint Gregory, whom the Neapolitans refer to as San Gregorio Armeno, is not just a popular saint, he is an integral part of the very rich Neapolitan folklore. Naples' folklore and folk crafts events, which take place around Christmas, are set in the picturesque and historic district of San Gregorio Armeno in the heart of the city. The origins of Naples' devotion to Saint Gregory as well as to Saints Hripsime and Gayane go very far back indeed. Their liturgical feast is attested to in the famous 7th-century marble calendar that was discovered in the 18th century. in Naples and Nardo (Italy), pilgrims to Saint-Jacques de Compostela, builders of churches, and royal and military alliances at the time of the Crusades.

Armenians have been identified in Italy, Sweden (10th century), Iceland, Russia (13th century) and Finland (17th century), prior to the establishment of colonies along trade routes by the merchants of New Julfa. In Egypt, the Armenian presence dates back to the 4th century BCE. In France, England, Spain, Germany, contacts with the Armenians of the Kingdom of Cilicia were created during the Crusades. To the east, Armenians were found in Kiev starting in the 11th-12nd century, as well as in Poland, Romania (13th-14th c.) and Bulgaria. During this period, other European countries also hosted small groups of Armenians.

Click on the links below to learn more :
Saint Blaise
Saint Servais
L’église Saint-Grégoire de Tallard
Les Arméniens en Cilicie