Hl. Florian

3D Model

Statue of Saint Florian at the Baroque Way of the Cross in Heiligenkreuz Abbey.

Saint Florian was a Roman officer who lived in the 3rd century AD in the province of Noricum, now Upper Austria. He is considered the patron saint of firefighters, chimney sweeps, and protection against fire. Florian is said to have courageously defended persecuted Christians and was therefore sentenced to death around 304 AD under Emperor Diocletian. According to legend, he was drowned in the Enns River after refusing to renounce his faith.

His feast day is May 4, which is now celebrated in many places as “Firefighters’ Day.” In folk art, Saint Florian is usually depicted in Roman armor, holding a bucket of water with which he extinguishes a burning house—a symbol of his help against fire and distress.