Sigita Maslauskaitė. The History of St. Casimir's Image (16th-18th c.)

Description

This book tells the story of the image of Saint Casimir from the beginning of his canonization process in 1520 until the end of the 18th century. Its aim is to show how the devotion to Saint Casimir took on a visible form, to reveal the genesis of his images, the diversity of iconography, and the symbolic and theological meaning of attributes. It also analyzes images of the saint and texts about him, showing how he was perceived in different epochs and what role he played in the lives of believers. After the death of Saint Casimir in 1484, the fame of his sanctity began to spread, emphasizing his role as a defender of the state and faith. The Catholic Church reforms of the 16th and 17th centuries promoted the spread of the cult of the saint - he was called the "non-martyred martyr" and became an example for secular and spiritual leaders seeking sanctity. Saint Casimir was perceived primarily as the protector of Lithuania and Poland, his iconography based on the story of his life and sanctity, with the image and narrative forming the pillars of this history.