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Memorial: 4 May
Profile
Third century officer in Roman army stationed in modern Austria. Military
administrator of the town of Noricum, and a closet Christian. Said to have
stopped a town from burning by throwing a single bucket of water on the
blaze, and thus his association with firefighters and those who protect us
from fire, including chimney sweeps. When ordered to execute a group of
Christians during the persecutions of Diocletian, he refused, and
professed his own faith. Martyr.
Died
c.304; scourged, flayed alive, a stone tied to his neck, and dumped into a
river; body later retrieved by Christians and buried at an Augustinian
monastery near Lorch; relics translated to Rome in 1138; part of the
relics given to King Casimir of Poland and the bishop of Cracow by Pope
Lucius III, which led to Florian's patronage of Poland and Upper Austria
Patronage
against battles, against fire, Austria, barrel-makers, brewers, chimney
sweeps, coopers, drowning, fire prevention, firefighters, floods,
harvests, Linz Austria, Poland, soap-boilers
Representation
young man, sometimes in armor, sometimes unarmed, pouring water from a tub
on a burning church; with a palm in his hand and a burning torch under his
feet; bearded warrior with a lance and tub; classical warrior leaning on a
millstone, pouring water on a fire; boy with a millstone; on a journey
with a hat and staff; beaten; thrown into a river with a millstone around
his neck; lying dead on a millstone guarded by an eagle; with a sword
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