Lawrence of Rome (heraldry)
Lawrence of Rome is a common figure in heraldry with religious symbolism.
In ecclesiastical heraldry , various representations have this coat of arms figure emerged, all on the Christian iconography are based.
Historical background
As Archdeacon of Rome, Laurentius was responsible for the administration of the local church assets and their use for social purposes on behalf of the Pope. After the Roman Emperor Valerian had Pope Sixtus beheaded, Laurentius was asked to surrender all property of the Church within three days, but he distributed it to the members of the Christian community. Valerian then had Laurentius tortured on a grate, and Laurentius died by fire .
Laurentius is one of the most important and at times most popular saints of the Catholic Church. The church of San Lorenzo fuori le mura in Rome is built over his place of execution .
In Germany, after the victory of Emperor Otto I against the Hungarians in the battle of the Lechfeld on August 10, 955, the Laurentius day , a cult of Laurentius spread. Many cities and communities chose Lawrence of Rome as their city patron . As a result, Laurentius appears in the coats of arms of cities and municipalities.
Laurentius is also represented in the coat of arms according to Christian iconography . He can be dressed with a traditional chasuble of a medieval deacon, he is depicted with a tonsure , a halo or a martyr's palm . His best-known attribute is the grate of fire , which is often used in coats of arms to represent the saint.
Examples
Saint figure
Währing (Vienna)
Attribute: rust
In heraldry, the grating has no symbolic meaning in itself, but could initially also be one of the everyday objects, as they are often depicted in coats of arms. In the case of municipal coats of arms, however, a historical reference to a Laurentius patronage of a local church or the like can often be established. Often Laurentius (not purely the optical described) in Blasonierungen also mentioned specifically in connection with the grate.
Ingenried (with griffin lion )
St. Lorenz (Germany)
St. Lorenz (Austria)
.svg)
.svg)
.png&filetimestamp=20050816220437&)
_COA.svg)
