Lorenzo Veneziano
St. Nicholas

Mid-14th century
Accademia Gallery, Venice

As in most images a bearded and bare-headed St. Nicholas wears a chasuble and alb, but he does have not his usual crozier. The white band over his shoulders is his pallium, a symbol of status as a leading prelate that one legend said he had been forbidden to wear by the Council of Nicea. The pallium identifies the figure as a bishop, and his bare head indicates he is Nicholas, the one bishop saint who is portrayed without a mitre. And no gold balls!

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Photographed at the site by Richard Stracke, shared under Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike license.