Saint / folklore
San Sebastiano
Sebastian was an early Christian saint and martyr. According to traditional belief, he was killed during the Diocletianic Persecution of Christians. He was initially tied to a post or tree and shot with arrows, though this did not kill him.
In the book
The patron of the town in the lava’s path; his processional image is carried out to confront the 1944 eruption, and the smuggling-in of a rival San Gennaro image has to be hidden under a sheet to avoid giving him offence.
Appears in 1 diary entry.
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March 22 1944Lewis travels through falling ash and volcanic debris to report on the threatened town of San Sebastiano as lava approaches.
processional image confronting the eruption
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