The 140 Saint Statues on the Colonnades refer to a series of statues that are located on the colonnades of St. Peter’s Square in Vatican City. These statues represent various saints and martyrs from the history of the Catholic Church.
The Colonnades
Designed by Gian Lorenzo Bernini, the colonnades are two massive semicircular structures that frame St. Peter’s Square. Each colonnade consists of four rows of Doric columns and totals 284 columns and 88 pilasters. On top of the colonnades, there is an Ionic frieze and above that, the statues of the saints stand tall.
The Statues
The statues are approximately 3.1 meters (10 feet) tall and were crafted by various artists from the 17th and 18th centuries. They include figures such as St. Peter, St. Paul, St. Ignatius Loyola, and many others, each chosen for their significance to the Church. The statues are made of marble and are placed on the balustrades above the columns, visible to those who enter the square.
Historical Significance
The inclusion of these statues on the colonnades was intended to represent the idea of the Catholic Church embracing its followers. The saints depicted are from different periods and regions, symbolizing the universal nature of the Church.The colonnades with the saint statues are not only an architectural marvel but also a spiritual symbol, representing the Church’s history and the diversity of its saints. They are a testament to the artistry and the religious devotion of the period in which they were created.
"Right Colonnade: Artists and Dates"
1. St Gallicanus - Lazzaro Morelli - 1670-1673
2. St Leonard - Unknown - 1666
3. St Petronilla (Virgin) - Unknown - 1666
4. St Vitalis (Martyr) - Lazzaro Morelli - 1665-1667
5. St Thecla (Virgin and Martyr) - Unknown - 1666
6. St Albert (Carmelite) - Lazzaro Morelli - 1667-1668
7. St Elizabeth of Portugal - Lazzaro Morelli - 1667-1668
8. St Agatha (Virgin and Martyr) - Giovanni Maria de Rossi - 1667-1668
9. St Ursula - Agostino Cornacchini - 1754
10. St Clair (Virgin) - Lazzaro Morelli - 1667-1668
11. St Olympia - Giovanni Maria de Rossi - 1667-1668
12. St Lucia - Giovanni Maria de Rossi - 1667-1668
13. St Balbina (Virgin and Martyr) - Giovanni Maria de Rossi - 1667-1668
14. St Apollonia - Filippo Carcani - 1668
15. St Remigius (Bishop) - Giovanni Maria de Rossi - 1667-1668
16. St Ignatius Loyola - Giovanni Maria de Rossi - 1667-1668
17. St Benedict - Unknown - 1667-1668
18. St Bernard - Lazzaro Morelli - 1667-1668
19. St Francis of Assisi - Lazzaro Morelli - 1667-1668
20. St Dominic - Lazzaro Morelli - 1667-1668
21. St Macrina - Unknown - 1668
22. St Theodosia - Andrea Baratta - 1666
23. St Ephraim - Unknown - 1662-1667
24. St Mary of Egypt - Lazzaro Morelli - 1665-1667
25. St Mark (Evangelist) - Lazzaro Morelli - 1661-1662
26. St Febronia (Virgin and Martyr) - Lazzaro Morelli - 1667-1668
27. St Fabiola (Widow) - Lazzaro Morelli - 1667-1668
28. St Nilamon - Lazzaro Morelli - 1667-1668
29. St Marcianus - Lazzaro Morelli - 1667-1668
30. St Eusignius (Martyr) - Giovanni Maria de Rossi - 1667-1668
31. St Marinus - Unknown - 1667-1668
32. St Dydimus - Lazzaro Morelli - 1667-1668
33. St Apollonius - Francesco Mari - 1667-1668
34. St Candide - Unknown - 1667-1668
35. St Fausta - Unknown - 1667-1668
36. St Barbara - Unknown - 1667-1668
37. St Benigno - Francesco Mari - 1667-1668
38. St Malchus (Martyr) - Giovanni Maria de Rossi - 1667-1668
39. St Mamant - Lazzaro Morelli - 1667-1668
40. St Colomba - Andrea Baratta - 1667-1668
41. St Pontian - Andrea Baratta - 1667-1668
42. St Genesio - Bartolomeo Cennini - 1662-1666
43. St Agnes - Lazzaro Morelli - 1661-1662
44. St Catherine (Virgin and Martyr) - Lazzaro Morelli - 1662-1665
45. St Justin - Lazzaro Morelli - 1665-1667
46. St Cecilia - Jean-Baptiste Theodon - 1703
47. St Francesca of Rome - Jean-Baptiste Theodon - 1703
48. St George - Lorenzo Ottoni - 1703
49. St Mary Magdalen of Pazzi - Giulio Coscia - 1703
50. St Susanna - Alessandro Rondoni - 1702-1703
51. St Martina - Alessandro Palma - 1702-1703
52. St Nicholas of Bari - Fabio Canusi - 1703
53. St Nicholas of Tolentino - Nicola Artusi - 1702-1703
54. St Francis Borgia - Vincenzo Mariotti - 1702-1703
55. St Francis de Sales - Paolo Reggiani - 1702-1703
56. St Theresa - Valerio Frugoni - 1702-1703
57. St Juliana - Antonio Alignini - 1702-1703
58. St Julian - Antonio Gabbani - 1702-1703
59. St Celsus - Piero Cristelli - 1702-1703
60. St Anastasius - Giuseppe Riccardi - 1702-1703
61. St Vincent (Martyr) - Francesco Pincellotti - 1702-1703
62. St Paul - Andrea Fucigna - 1702-1703
63. St John - Vincenzo Felice - 1702-1703
64. St Damian - Giuseppe Napolini - 1702-1703
65. St Cosma - Antonio Fantasia - 1702-1703
66. St Zosimus - Annibale Casella - 1702-1703
67. St Rufus (Martyr) - Matteo Tomassini - 1702-1703
68. St Protasio - Simone Giorgini - 1702-1703
69. St Gervase (Martyr) - Giuseppe Raffaelli - 1702-1703
70. St Thomas Aquinas - Girolamo Protopapa - 1702-1703
"Left Colonnade: Artists and Dates"
71. St Bonaventure (Bishop) - Pietro Paolo Campi - 1702-1703
72. St Mark (Martyr) - Francesco Gallesini - 1702-1703
73. St Marcellinus (Martyr) - Agostino Zena - 1702-1703
74. St Vitus (Martyr) - Girolamo Gramignoli - 1702-1703
75. St Modesto (Martyr) - Giuseppe Ferretti - 1702-1703
76. St Prassede (Virgin) - Francesco Maria Brunetti - 1702-1703
77. St Pudentiana (Virgin) - Paolo Morelli - 1702-1703
78. St Fabian (Pope) - Pietro Mentinovese - 1702-1703
79. St Sebastian (Martyr) - Michele Maglia - 1702-1703
80. St Felician (Martyr) - Giovanni Maria Baratta - 1702-1703
81. St Faustus - Giovanbattista Cioli - 1702-1703
82. St Primus - Domenico Amici - 1702-1703
83. St Felician (Martyr) - Bernardino Cametti - 1702-1703
84. St Hippolitus (Martyr) - Antonio Frediani - 1702-1703
85. St Basiledes (Martyr) - Giovanni Battista Antonini - 1702-1703
86. St Paul (Martyr) - Michele Mauri - 1702-1703
87. St Julian (Martyr) - Giovanni Pietro Mauri - 1702-1703
88. St Nereus (Martyr) - Lorenzo Ottoni - 1703
89. St Achilleus (Martyr) - Lorenzo Ottoni - 1702-1703
90. St Felix (Martyr) - Lorenzo Ottoni - 1702-1703
91. St Constance (Martyr) - Sillano Sillani - 1702-1703
92. St Andrew Corsini - Francesco Marchionni - 1702-1703
93. St Crescentius (Martyr) - Jean-Baptiste Theodon - 1703
94. St Pelagia (Martyr) - Pierre-Etienne Monnot - 1703
95. St Pancras - Francesco Moderati - 1702-1703
96. St Dionysus - Lazzaro Morelli - 1665-1667
97. St Laurence (Martyr) - Lazzaro Morelli - 1665-1667
98. St Stephen (Martyr) - Lazzaro Morelli - 1662-1665
99. St Romano (Martyr) - Lazzaro Morelli - 1665-1667
100. St Eusebius - Lazzaro Morelli - 1668-1670
101. St Spyridon (Bishop) - Lazzaro Morelli - 1668-1670
102. St Ignatius (Bishop and Martyr) - Ferrata Workshop - 1669-1670
103. St Alexander (Bishop) - Ferrata Workshop - 1669-1670
104. St Leo the Great - Giovanni Maria de Rossi - 1669-1670
105. St Anastasio (Bishop) - Giovanni Maria de Rossi - 1669-1670
106. St John Chrysostom - Giovanni Maria de Rossi - 1668-1669
107. St Ubaldo (Bishop) - Giovanni Maria de Rossi - 1669-1670
108. St Gregory Nazianzus - Giovanni Maria de Rossi - 1669-1670
109. St Leo IV (Pope) - Unknown - 1669-1670
110. St Clement (Pope & Martyr) - Filippo Carcani - 1669
111. St Celestine V (Pope) - Lazzaro Morelli - 1668-1670
112. St Marcellus (Pope and Martyr) -Lazzaro Morelli - 1668-1670
113. St Martin (Pope and Martyr) - Lazzaro Morelli - 1668-1670
114. St Sylvester (Pope) - Lazzaro Morelli - 1668-1670
115. St Marcellinus (Pope and Martyr) - Lazzaro Morelli - 1668-1670
116. St Galla (Roman matron) - Unknown - 1666
117. St Catherine of Siena - Lazzaro Morelli - 1665-1667
118. St Beatrice (Virgin & Martyr) - Unknown - 1666
119. St Theodora (Virgin Martyr) - Giacomo Antonio Fancelli - 1662-1667
120. St Hyacinth - Lazzaro Morelli - 1667-1668
121. St Francis Xavier - Lazzaro Morelli - 1669-1670
122. St Cajetan - Lazzaro Morelli - 1671
123. St Philip Benizi - Lazzaro Morelli - 1671
124. St Philip Neri - Lazzaro Morelli - 1671
125. St Charles Borromeo - Lazzaro Morelli - 1671
126. St Anthony of Padua - Lazzaro Morelli - 1671
127. St Francis of Paola - Francesco Antonio Fontana - 1670-1673
128. St Anthony (Abbot) - Giuseppe Angelini - 1792-1793
129. St Paul (first hermit) - Lazzaro Morelli - 1672
130. St Peter Nolasco - Lazzaro Morelli - 1672-1673
131. St Joseph - Lazzaro Morelli - 1671-1672
132. St Romuald - Lazzaro Morelli - 1672
133. St John the Almsgiver - Lazzaro Morelli - 1672-1673
134. St Louis Bertrand - Lazzaro Morelli - 1672-1673
135. St Bruno - Francesco Antonio Fontana - 1670-1673
136. St Hilarion - Unknown - 1662-1667
137. St Jerome - Unknown - 1662-1667
138. St Theodore (Martyr) - Lazzaro Morelli - 1665-1667
139. St Theobald - Unknown - 1662-1667
140. St Norbert - Lazzaro Morelli - 1670-1673