St. Martin of Tours

St. Martin of Tours (Sanctus Martinus Turonensis; 316 or 336 – 8 November 397) was Bishops of Tours, whose shrine in Francebecame a famous stopping-point for pilgrims of the road to Santiago de Compostela in Spain. He has become one of the most familiar and recognizable Christiansaints, sometimes venerated as a military saint. As he was born in what is nowSzombathely, Hungary, spent much of his childhood inPavai, Italy and lived most of his adult life in France, he is considered a spiritual bridge across Europe. For St. Martin of Tours the commonest and most characteristic iconographic type is exemplified by the stained glass at right. Martin is on horseback and uses his sword to divide his cape in two. One half of the cape is for the beggar who stands beside the horse. In the legend the beggar is all naked, but a completely naked beggar is a rarity in the iconography. Usually he is barefoot, and much of the time his chest is exposed, as at right. But sometimes he will have a short tunic where he also has a halo to remind viewers that he is Christ.