Location on North Colonnade




43. St. Agnes
The 140 Saints of the Colonnade

Location Area - Coat of Arms
 Over Bronze Door

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


 

 

 


 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

St. Agnes of Rome - Virgin and Martyr
Born - c. 291
Died - c. 304

Feastday - 21 January
One of seven women, along with the Blessed Virgin, who are commemorated by name in the Canon of the Mass.

Statue created - c.1661-1662
The first statue placed on the colonnades

Sculptor - Lazzaro Morelli
It is certainly the work of Morelli as he was the only artist to receive payment by this date.

Height - 3.1 m. (10ft 4in) travertine
She is dressed in a tunic with the attributes of the palm of martyrdom and a lamb (as the Latin word for lamb, "agnus", sounds like her name). This formed the iconography of the statue on the facade of the church of St Agnes in Agone, the traditional site of her martyrdom.

St Agnes, according to tradition, was a member of the Roman nobility, raised in a Christian family, and suffered martyrdom by the sword, around the age of twelve.

Saints on North Colonnade

43. Agnes

42. Genesius

Saints on North Colonnade
Above Entrance to Bronze Doors

Catherine and Agnes flank
the Alexander VII Coat of Arms

 

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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