yergatuni1 Posted October 22, 2009 Report Share Posted October 22, 2009 About 250 AD, Armenian Prince (don't know who the Armenian King was at the time), First Martyr of Florence, Italy, the Church of San Miniato in Florence is dedicated to him, the patron saint of that city. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yergatuni1 Posted October 23, 2009 Author Report Share Posted October 23, 2009 Here's a bit more information, Minas left Armenia and joined the Roman army. He was eventually ordered beheaded by the Roman Emperor Decius for refusing to give up his Christian beliefs. Hence, he became the first Christian Martyr of Florence. This was at a time when Armenia itself was still pagan. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zartonk Posted October 26, 2009 Report Share Posted October 26, 2009 (edited) St. Minas Wiki St. Minas can be seen to the right of Christ. Edited November 5, 2009 by Zartonk Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
moogey Posted November 4, 2009 Report Share Posted November 4, 2009 Here's a bit more information, Minas left Armenia and joined the Roman army. He was eventually ordered beheaded by the Roman Emperor Decius for refusing to give up his Christian beliefs. Hence, he became the first Christian Martyr of Florence. This was at a time when Armenia itself was still pagan. This is interesting. I visited San Miniato in 1992,(before Googledom), and was curious about the name Minas, an Armenian sounding name. Then I forgot all about it. It was thrilling to think that there was this magnificent and beautiful building in honour of him. Poor man, to die for his beliefs. Here's a photo. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
moogey Posted November 5, 2009 Report Share Posted November 5, 2009 This is interesting. I visited San Miniato in 1992,(before Googledom), and was curious about the name Minas, an Armenian sounding name. Then I forgot all about it. It was thrilling to think that there was this magnificent and beautiful building in honour of him. Poor man, to die for his beliefs. Here's a photo. Here is some more information:The story of St. Minas has all the ingredients of one of those first-class stories of the saints -- an Armenian prince serving in the Roman army under the Emperor Decius, who leaves his soldiering to become a hermit, but who is then arrested for being a Christian and is thrown to the wild beasts, but of course the beasts won't attack him and so he's beheaded, and not to be thwarted, Minas picks up his head and walks across the River Arno, as would be expected of any self-respecting saint. He walked up to the top of the hill. A small shrine was built on this spot in the 8th century, but by the beginning of the 11th century construction on the large church was begun. The wonderful marble façade was started in the late 11th century and finished in the 12th century. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MosJan Posted November 5, 2009 Report Share Posted November 5, 2009 moogey jan thank you can you also please post the source info Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Arpa Posted November 5, 2009 Report Share Posted November 5, 2009 moogey jan thank you can you also please post the source info Some sources say that he was either an Armenian or Greek merchant. What is significant is that during 250 AD, more than 50 years before 301 AD there were Christian Armenians. As far as "picking his severed head", it may be taken from the pages of Merlin the Magician.http://www.paradoxplace.com/Perspectives/Italian%20Images/Montages/Firenze/San%20Miniato.htm Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zartonk Posted November 5, 2009 Report Share Posted November 5, 2009 Also note that the mosaic inscription on the fresco reads 'S. MINIATUS REX ERMINIE' Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yergatuni1 Posted November 6, 2009 Author Report Share Posted November 6, 2009 Some sources say that he was either an Armenian or Greek merchant. What is significant is that during 250 AD, more than 50 years before 301 AD there were Christian Armenians. As far as "picking his severed head", it may be taken from the pages of Merlin the Magician.http://www.paradoxplace.com/Perspectives/Italian%20Images/Montages/Firenze/San%20Miniato.htm per the enscription inside the church he was Armenian. also, its doubtful he was just a merchant; otherwise the emperor wouldn't have wasted time torturing him to make him renounce his faith, he would have just fed him to the lions outright, just like most of the other christians in the empire. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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