Saint Barbara (Svatá Barbora) - Cholina, Czech Republic
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vraatja
N 49° 39.551 E 017° 02.768
33U E 647669 N 5502748
Baroque statue of St Barbara from 1715 at the local church in village Cholina near Litovel (Central Moravia). / Barokní socha svaté Barbory z roku 1715 od významného sochare Johanna (Jana Václava) Sturmera.
Waymark Code: WMPX8M
Location: Olomoucký kraj, Czechia
Date Posted: 11/02/2015
Views: 23
EN
The sandstone statue of St Barbara from 1715 is one of the most beautiful and most valuable monuments of village Cholina village located near the town of Litovel. It is a cultural monument designed by sculptor Johann Sturmer who created the statue based on the order of the donator, a former local pastor Ernest Varadius.
Saint Barbara is virgin martyr of the early church. According to legend Barbara was the daughter of a rich pagan named Dioscorus. was carefully guarded by her father who kept her shut up in a tower in order to preserve her from the outside world. Having secretly become a Christian, she rejected an offer of marriage that she received through him. Before going on a journey, he commanded that a private bath-house be erected for her use near her dwelling, and during his absence Barbara had three windows put in it, as a symbol of the Holy Trinity, instead of the two originally intended. When her father returned, she acknowledged herself to be a Christian; upon this he drew his sword to kill her, but her prayers created an opening in the tower wall and she was miraculously transported to a mountain gorge, where two shepherds watched their flocks. Dioscorus, in pursuit of his daughter, was rebuffed by the first shepherd, but the second betrayed her and was turned to stone and his flock changed to locusts. Dragged before the prefect of the province, Martinianus, who had her cruelly tortured, Barbara held true to her faith. During the night, the dark prison was bathed in light and new miracles occurred. Every morning her wounds were healed. Torches that were to be used to burn her went out as soon as they came near her. Finally she was condemned to death by beheading. The father himself carried out the death-sentence, but in punishment for this he was struck by lightning on the way home and his body consumed. Barbara was buried by a Christian, Valentinus, and her tomb became the site of miracles.
Her historicity is open to doubt, but legendary accounts place her in the 3rd century. Her name can be traced to the 7th century, and veneration of her was common, especially in the East, from the 9th century. Because of doubts about the historicity of her legend, she was removed from the liturgical calendar of the Roman rite in 1969 in Pope Paul VI's. As one of the Fourteen Holy Helpers, Barbara continues to be a popular saint in modern times, perhaps best known as the patron saint of artillerymen, military engineers, miners and others who work with explosives because of her old legend's association with lightning, and also of mathematicians.
Saint Barbara is depicted in art as standing by a tower with three windows, carrying a palm branch and a chalice, sometimes with cannons depicted by her side. The titled baroque statue was made in 1756 and St. Barbara has here chalice with gold holy-wafer and tower at her feet.
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