88. St. Nereus
The 140 Saints of the Colonnade


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Saints 22-44
Saints 45-70
Saints 71-96
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St. Nereus
Died - early 2nd century

Feastday - 12 May

Sculptor - Lorenzo Ottoni
He received 80 scudi for the work.

Statue created - c.1703
The documents show that in June 1703, Ottoni had already finished the statues of Sts Nereus, Achilleus and George.

Height - 3.1 m. (10ft 4in) travertine
The saint dressed in a tunic, turns his bearded face to the sky.  His right hand is on his chest, while his left holds the palm of martyrdom.

This statue is a close correlation with the style of St Achilleus (89), to reaffirm the spiritual bond between the two saints. 

The old Roman Martyrology of the 5th century contained the names of the two martyrs Nereus and Achilleus, whose graves were in the Catacomb of Domitilla on the Via Ardeatina. The epigraph by Pope St Damasus for their catacomb shrine was recovered in excavation

 

Saints on South Colonnade
Charlemagne Wing

89. Achilleus, 88. Nerius

Saints on South Colonnade
Charlemagne Wing

91. Constance, 90. Felix

89. Achilleus, 88. Nerius

 

Sources:
The Book of Saints, ©2002 Edited by Dom Basil Watkins, OSB
Le statue berniniani del Colonnato di San Pietro, ©1987 by de Luca Editore s.t.l.

 

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