Location on South Colonnade




105. St. Athanasius
The 140 Saints of the Colonnade


Location Area
South Curved Arm

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Saints 1-21
Saints 22-44
Saints 45-70
Saints 71-96
Saints 97-119
Saints 120-140

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St. Athanasius of Alexandria
Born - 296
Died - 2 May 373 in Alexandria

Feastday - 2 May

Statue created - c.1669-1670
The statue is one of the group of 16 installed between 1 May 1669 and 5 August 1670.

Sculptor - Giovanni Maria De Rossi
This statue, along with numbers (104), (106), (107) and (108) are attributable to the sculptor

Height - 3.1 m. (10ft 4in) travertine
The saint is dressed in a bishop's robe and opens a scroll, symbolic of his many writings. Here he is represented more youthfully than his statue beside the Chair of St Peter.

Athanasius, bishop of Alexandria, was one of the first bishops, who was not a martyr. to receive public worship. He is a Doctor of the Church, and was the chief defender against Arianism.

 

Saints on South Colonnade
Curved Arm

106. John Chrysostom

105. Athanasius

Saints on South Colonnade
Curved Arm

110. Clement - Far Left

 

Sources:
The Book of Saints, ©2002 Edited by Dom Basil Watkins, OSB
Le Statue Berniniani del Colonnato di San Pietro by Valentino Martinelli ©1987 by de Luca Editore s.t.l.

 

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