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St. Philip Benizi
Born - 15 August 1223
Died - 22 August 1285 at Todi, Italy

Feastday - 22 August

Statue created - c.1671
The statue is part of a group of 16 that were installed between August 1670 and March 1673. It was made immediately after the statues of Sts Cajetan and Philip Neri, and simultaneously with Sts Anthony of Padua and Charles Borromeo.

Sculptor - Lazzaro Morelli
Final payments for the work were made to Morelli in October and November of 1671.

Height - 3.1 m. (10ft 4in) travertine
The saint, in the habit of the Servite order, holds a crucifix in his left hand. At his feet is the papal tiara that he shuned.

Philip Benizi, a Florentine physician, became the  fifth Superior General of the Order of Servites. The story is that he tried to become a lay-brother by pretending to be illiterate, but was found out and told that he could only remain in the Order if he were ordained. When an influential cardinal named him as a possible papal candidate, Philip was so distressed by the idea that he hid in a cave until the election was over.