Veil Nation.: Masterpiece Monday: St. Flavia
In his High Renaissance painting (above), Perugino depicts St. Flavia (the younger) wearing a crown, because she was the niece of the Emperor Domitian. Flavia is wearing the red robes of a martyr here, as she was later burnt to death under the Emperor Trajan for not sacrificing food to idols. She was later banished by her uncle to the island of Pontia along with other Christians whom St. Jerome describes as experiencing a "slow martyrdom" there alone on the island. Flavia was buried in the catacomb on the Via Delle Sette Chiese which was originally the vault of Saint Flavius Clemens and his family.