Column of Saint Florian

Brief information

The Column of Saint Florian appeared as a monument to a city fire: in 1732 it was dedicated to the saint who was considered the patron of firefighters. So it is not merely a decorative Baroque vertical on the square, but a stone memory of disaster translated into the language of figures, reliefs, and symbols of water.

Today the column stands on Florian Square in front of the Church of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, but this is not its original location. For almost two centuries it stood by the former Laurin Gate, on the market square in the center of Bratislava. In 1938, the monument was moved because of the reconstruction of Kamenné Square and the widening of Štúrova Street. After that, the new square was given Florian’s name: here, the name grew out of the relocated monument.

What to notice first

It makes sense to read the column from bottom to top. The base is made of Hořice sandstone, while the column itself is made of white dressed Austrian limestone and artificial stone; a decorative wrought-iron railing has been added around it. This change of materials separates the pedestal, the enclosure, and the tall stone obelisk from one another.

On the base are bas-reliefs with episodes from the life of Saint Florian: being thrown into the waters of the Enns, the body being brought ashore, and the carrying of the body. At the top stands the saint himself in the guise of a Roman soldier, with a cloak, armor, spear, plumed helmet, pitcher, and banner. The pitcher connects the figure with the theme of fire and water. Separately, you can compare the side statues of Saint Lawrence and Saint Stephen: they stand on their own pedestals and were added later, so the monument looks like a group assembled over time rather than a completely unified design.