Saint martyr Erasmus from Formia

This painting depicts Saint Erasmus, Bishop of Formia (Italy), also known as Saint Elmo, who lived in the 3rd century and died as a martyr during the rule of the emperor Diocletian. The cult of this saint has been widespread in the Catholic Church since antiquity. Starting the Middle Ages, Saint Erasmus has been considered to be one of the fourteen saints helping the believers in times of perils and strife. The saint is portrayed typically, wearing liturgical bishop robes and holding the tool used to torture him - a windlass with his own entrails wrapped around it. These details are typical to the iconography of Saint Erasmus (Text author dr. Rūta Janonienė).