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St. Damian - Martyr
Born - c. Third Century Arabia
Died - c.287 in Syria

Feastday - 26 September

Statue created -  c.1702-1703
Napolini received the commission for the statue in January 1702 and delivered in August 1703.

Sculptor - Giuseppe Napolini
He received 80 scudi for the work.
This statue was carved simultaneously with the cherub holding scrolls on the Monument to Clement X in St Peter's.

Height - 3.1 m. (10ft 4in) travertine
The saint turns to the right, as if to look at his brother Cosmas. He has a wide cloak with ample folds.  With his left hand he holds the palm of martyrdom.

Saints Cosmas and Damian were twin brothers, physicians, and early Christian martyrs under Diocletian. The twin martyrs are invoked in the Canon of the Mass, and the Litany of the Saints.

The Roman Martyrology accepts the tradition that they were martyred at Cyrrhus, which is now a ruined city called Khoros in Syria.