Detail, 1400s limewood statue of Roman soldier and early Christian martyr Saint Sebastian, his body pierced by arrows, displayed with other precious artworks in the refectory of the Monastère royal de Brou, a monastic complex founded in 1506 at Bourg-en-Bresse, Ain, Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, France. Sebastian, sentenced to death for hiding his faith, miraculously survived being shot by archers while bound to a stake, but was later beaten to death with cudgels for haranguing Roman emperor Diocletian.
Bourg-en-Bresse, Ain, Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, France: detail of 15th century limewood statue of early Christian martyr Saint Sebastian, his body pierced by arrows, on display with other precious Christian artworks in the refectory of the Monastère royal de Brou, a monastic complex founded in 1506. Sebastian (c. 256-288 AD) was a captain of the Roman Imperial Praetorian Guard. For hiding his Christian faith, Emperor Diocletian sentenced him to be shot at by archers while bound to a stake. Many arrows hit their target and Sebastian was left for dead. Somehow, he survived, helped by a Christian widow who found him still alive when she went to retrieve his body and nursed him back to health. Sebastian was eventually martyred for haranguing Diocletian for his cruel persecution of Christians. The emperor ordered him to be beaten to death with cudgels, with the body thrown into a sewer. Although Sebastian did die from the assault, the body was secretly retrieved and buried in Christian catacombs. As a saint, he is venerated by Roman Catholics, Orthodox Christians and Anglicans. The royal monastery was founded in 1506 by Margaret of Austria, Duchess of Savoy (1480-1530), daughter of Holy Roman Emperor Maximilian I. She planned it as a memorial and burial-place for her second husband, Philibert II, Duke of Savoy, his mother, Margaret of Bourbon, and herself. The trio are buried in the abbey church, the Église Saint-Nicolas-de-Tolentin de Brou. In the early 15th century, Bourg-en-Bresse was the capital of the dukes of Savoy and of the ancient province of Bresse. It was conquered by France in 1535, but restored to Savoy in 1559. The town later withstood a six-month French siege, but was finally ceded to France in 1601. The monastery now belongs to the town of Bourg-en-Bresse and it hosts the municipal art collection.
Size: 2592px × 3872px
Location: Monastère royal de Brou, Bourg-en-Bresse, Ain, Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, France.
Photo credit: © Terence Kerr / Alamy / Afripics
License: Royalty Free
Model Released: No
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