Location on North Colonnade




36. St. Barbara
The 140 Saints of the Colonnade

Location Area
North Colonnade - Curved Arm

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


 

 

 


 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

St. Barbara
Died - Late third century

Statue carved - c. 1667-1668
This is one of 16 statues that were installed between May 1667 and July 1668.

Sculptor - Unknown
This work, though overall quite modest, reveals a certain finesse with the treatment of the drapery.  This style is not reflected in other statues of the colonnade, nor in the works of other sculptors who were employed during this time period.

Height - 3.1 m. (10ft 4in) travertine
St Barbara is shown here with traditional attributes.  The tower she leans against commemorates the place where she was imprisoned by her father.  Her left hand holds lightning, which refers to her father being struck by lightning after he had her beheaded.

St Barbara became a popular saint, but the historical existence of the details concerning the tower and lightning are questionable. The Roman Martyrology states that, by tradition, she was a virgin and martyr at Nicomedia.

Saints on North Colonnade

37. Benignus

36. Barbara

35. Fausta

Saints on North Colonnade

  38. Malchus
37. Benignus
36. Barbara
35. Fausta
34. Candida
33. Apollonius
32. Didymus
31. Marinus
30. Eusignius
 

 

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

 

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