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 chronogram is located on the sandstone pedestal. The Roman numerals of chronogram are larger than the other letters and are not color-coded from the rest of the text.
The year 1729 from the chronogram referring to erection of the statue.
The chronogram: In honoreM InsIgnIs athLeae DIVI fLorIanI In eXstrVC
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Na zdeném podstavci kamenný sokl s hranami na rozích vyseknutými. Hranolový podstavec dole na bocích volutove rozšírený, uprostred ve vpadline kartuš s akantem a rozvilinou s latinským nápisem, datujícím sochu do roku 1729. Nad rímsou rozkrocená a prohnutá figura sv. Floriána. Suknice spadá ke kolenum, rozevlátá košile, vroubená u ramen i u pasu, plášt pres ramena a ruce. V levé ruce svírá polosvinutý praporec. Vše silne rozevláté. Materiál pískovec.
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