Tuesday 11 December 2012

The deer of Sant'Eustachio church

Very close to the Pantheon, in a square called Piazza Sant'Eustachio, there is a church where on top of the facade there is a deer instead of the usual cross! According to the legend Saint'Eustace, whose name was Placido before his conversion, was a roman soldier. One day when he was hunting he saw a deer which was looking much nicer and bigger than all the other ones. When he was about to kill him he noticed that he had a cross between his antlers. The following night Placido's wife dreamt what happened to his husband and the whole family decided to be baptized. After the baptism Placido changed his name in Eustace and after a while he and his family were killed for his christian faith. It was the year 130 A.D. and the emperor was Hadrian. 

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