Antoniazzo Romano (attrib.)
Madonna and Child with Saints: Detail, St. Vitus

15th century
Fresco
Church of Saints Vitus and Modestus, Rome

St. Vitus holds a palm branch signifying his martyrdom. As usual, he is pictured as a youth with curly blond hair, even though in the hagiographical material he is a Sicilian child of about seven years of age. The dog is often his attribute, referring to folk accounts of his efficacy against dog bites.

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