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La Vierge à l'enfant et quatre saints de Poitiers

Saint Mary and four saints of Poitiers

The mother of Jesus Christ
(Wikipedia)

date?

Poitiers / La Vierge à l'enfant et quatre saints de Poitiers

Description

Above the door a statue of Mary with child flanked by four patron saints of Poitiers.

Sta Agnes Sainte Agnès de Poitiers / Saint Agnes of Poitiers, companion of St. Radegund, first abbess of the monastery of the Holy Cross at Poitiers.
Sta Radegundis - Sainte Radegonde de Poitiers / Saint Radegund of Thuringia, (ca. 520-586) was a 6th century Frankish princess, who founded the monastery of the Holy Cross at Poitiers (Wikipedia).
Virgo dei genitrix - Mary with child
Stus Hilarius - Saint Hilaire de Poitiers / Saint Hilary of Poitiers, (c. 300 - c. 368), Bishop of Poitiers and is a Doctor of the Church (Wikipedia).
Sta Disciola - Saint Disciola, (d. 583), companion of St. Radegund, nun in the monastery of the Holy Cross at Poitiers.

1. Sainte Agnès de Poitiers
Saint Agnes of Poitiers

2. Sainte Radegonde de Poitiers
Saint Radegund of Thuringia

3. Mary with child

4. Saint Hilaire de Poitiers
Saint Hilary of Poitiers

5. Saint Disciola

Depictions of Saint Mary

Saint Mary, as the mother of Jesus Christ, has a central role in the life of the Roman Catholic Church. The Roman Catholic veneration of her as the Blessed Virgin Mary has grown over time both in importance and manifestation, not only in prayer but in art, poetry and music. She is usually depicted as a beautiful young woman, with a (blue) mantle. In the majority of the depictions she is having the Infant Jesus in her arms or on her lap.
Attributes of Saint Mary:

A crown of 12 stars (Relevation 12:1), sometimes 7 stars.
A royal crown, sometimes also a scepter: Mary Queen of Heaven.
Standing on a globe.
Standing on the crescent moon (Relevation 12:1).
Crushing the serpent (sometimes a dragon) under her feet. The serpent can have an apple in his mouth (Genesis 3:15). A special depiction is where Jesus impales the serpent with a spear-cross.
Flowers: Lily (symbol of virginity and purity), roses (Mary's mystical participation in the Holy Trinity as Heaven's Rose or Mystical Rose), iris or "Sword Lily" (emblem of Our Lady's Seven Sorrows), fleur-de-lis (resembling both the Iris and the Madonna Lily)

The Infant Jesus sometimes has some attributes too:

a crown and/or a royal orb (usually in combination with Mary as Queen of Heaven)
making a blessing gesture

Location (N 46°34'47" - E 0°21'5")

Item Code: frpc007; Photograph: 30 August 2011
Of each statue we made photos from various angles and also detail photos of the various texts.
If you want to use photos, please contact us via the contact form (in Dutch, English or German).
© Website and photos: René & Peter van der Krogt