Location on North Colonnade




55. St. Francis de Sales
The 140 Saints of the Colonnade

Location Area
Constantinian Wing

Welcome
Floorplan
The Square
Documents
Images

Grottoes
Vatican City

Colonnade Saints
Floorplan #2


Altars
Monuments
The History

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


 

 

 


 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



 

St. Francis de Sales
Born - 21 August 1567
Died - 28 December 1622

Feastday - 24 January
Canonized - 1665 by Pope Alexander VII

Statue Installed - c.1702-1703
The sculptor agrees on 1 August 1702 to deliver the statue by 4 July 1703

Sculptor - Paolo Reggiani
He received payment of 80 scudi during 1703.
The work is rather crude and rough in the upper body, but the face draws characteristics from the funeral mask of the saint.

Height - 3.1 m. (10ft 4in) travertine
Francis is depicted with his eyes looking up and his hands across his chest.  At his feet is a miter, rarely present in the iconography of the saint.

Francis de Sales was a Bishop of Geneva but never set foot there, because it was controlled by the Calvinists. However, he almost extirpated Calvinism from the Chablis region by his preaching and example.  He was declared a Doctor of the Church primarily because he taught that a life of prayer is possible to any person in any state of life, and the prayer life must be tailored to each state of life.

 

Saints on North Colonnade
Constantinian Wing

57. Juliana
56. Theresa

55. Francis de Sales
54. Francis Borgia

Saints on North Colonnade
Constantinian Wing

55. Francis de Sales

54. Francis Borgia

 

Sources:
Roma Sacra - San Pietro in Vaticano, Itineraries 21-22, ©Fabbrica of St. Peter's, July 2001
Le Statue Berniniani del Colonnato di San Pietro by Valentino Martinelli ©1987 by de Luca Editore

 

This independent website is not endorsed by or associated with the Vatican, the Fabbrica of St. Peter's, or any business organization

Contact: stpetersbasilica@gmail.com