Location on South Colonnade




129. St. Paul-First Hermit
The 140 Saints of the Colonnade



Location Area
South Colonnade - Curved Arm

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Saints 22-44
Saints 45-70
Saints 71-96
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St. Paul-First Hermit
Born - c.228
Died - c.343 Egypt

Feastday - 10 January

Statue created - c.1672
It's part of a group of 16 installed between August 1670 and March 1673.

Sculptor - Lazzaro Morelli
Payment was made to Morelli in June 1672 for 80 scudi.

Height - 3.1 m. (10ft 4in) travertine
The old venerable saint is dressed in woven palm leaves.  He holds the bread, which according to legend, a raven brought every day to his cave.

The face is similar to the St Athanasius on the Chair of St Peter, where Morelli had worked with Bernini from 1661 to 1663.

He is regarded as the first Christian hermit. The Life of St Paul the First Hermit was written by St Jerome.

 

Saints on South Colonnade
After 2014 Restoration

129. Paul - Hermit

128. Anthony - Abbot

127. Francis of Paola

 

Saints on South Colonnade
Curved Arm

 

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

 

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