The chronogram is located on the sandstone pedestal. The Roman numerals of chronogram are larger than the other letters and are red color-coded from the rest of the text.
The year 1746 from the chronogram referring to erection of the statue.
The chronogram: DIVe fLorIaneIn CaLIs beate qVIVIVIs DefenDe oppato VItz aqVaVIs offensa IgnIs
Saint Florian is a Christian saint, and the patron saint of Linz, Austria; chimney sweeps; soapmakers, and firefighters. His feast day is May 4. St. Florian is also the patron of Upper Austria, jointly with Saint Leopold.
St. Florian was born about 250 AD in the ancient Roman city of Aelium Cetiumin in present-day Sankt Pölten, Austria. He joined the Roman army and advanced in the ranks, rising to commander of the imperial army in the Roman province of Noricum. In addition to his military duties, he was also responsible for organizing firefighting brigades. Florian organized and trained an elite group of soldiers whose sole duty was to fight fires.
During the Diocletianic Persecution of Christians, reports reached Rome that Florian was not enforcing the proscriptions against Christians in his territory. Aquilinus was sent to investigate these reports. When Aquilinus ordered Florian to offer sacrifice to the Roman gods in accordance with Roman religion, he refused. Florian was sentenced to be burned at the stake. Standing on the funeral pyre, Florian is reputed to have challenged the Roman soldiers to light the fire, saying "If you do, I will climb to heaven on the flames." Apprehensive of his words, instead of burning Florian, he was executed by drowning in the Enns River with a millstone tied around his neck.
His body was later retrieved by Christians and buried at an Augustinian monastery near Lorch. Later a woman named Valeria had a vision in which she saw him; Florian, in this vision, declared his intent to be buried in a more appropriate location.
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The general attributes of sculpture of St. Florian: Roman soldier’s dress, a pitcher of water
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Svatý Florián (Florian von Lorch, Florián z Lorchu) (250, Zeiselmauer-Wolfpassing – 4. kveten 304, Lorch) je katolický svatý, mucedník. První rakouský mucedník a svatý.
Za vlády císare Diokleciána byl jednou z obetí jeho zásahu prostrednictvím ctyr protikrestanských ediktu z let 303 a 304. V okolí dnešního Lince, v meste Lauriacum (neboli Lorch) u soutoku Enže s Dunajem, dal jeho místodržitel Aquilinus pozavírat a usmrtit mnoho zdejších krestanu. Když se to Florian dozvedel, spechal krestanum na pomoc. Nebyl však dostatecne opatrný a po nekolika dnech byl zatcen a pod neustálým týráním mel zaprít Krista. Protože se nechtel za žádnou cenu víry zríct a soud nevzal ohledy na jeho zásluhy v armáde a jeho bezúhonný život, vydal ho do rukou katu. Ti mu dne 4. kvetna r. 304 privázali na krk mlýnský kámen a hodili ho do reky Enže poblíž rímské osady Lauriacum (dnes Lorch, cást obce Enns v Rakousku). Pohreb byl nedaleko Lince, v místech kde dnes leží mestys Sankt Florian, a nad jeho hrobem byl už v 6. století vystaven augustiniánský klášter.
Svatý Florián je považován za patrona profesí, které souvisejí s ohnem – hasicu, hutníku, kominíku, hrncíru ci pekaru. V ikonografii je predstavován obvykle v oblecení rímského dustojníka s nádobou na hašení, prípadne prímo hasící požár. Jeho kult byl znacne rozšíren i v ceských zemích a jeho sochy se budovaly na ochranu proti požáru.
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