(photo by Shane Gorski)
This statue depicts Saint Bartholomew, an early Christian martyr who was allegedly skinned alive. If you look closely, you’ll notice that’s not a robe that he’s holding. It’s actually his dissected skin hanging around him. This statute is by Marco d’Agrate, c.1562.
Saint Bartholomew was one of the Twelve Apostles of Jesus Christ. After the Ascension, it’s said the saint traveled to the east, and then onto Greater Armenia. According to traditional hagiography, he was flayed and beheaded there for converting the king to Christianity. Some accounts attest that instead of getting flayed, Bartholomew was crucified upside down like Saint Peter.
