In the Roman Martyrology, three saints with the name Marius are identified. The first is the Marius to whom the statue on Spire G20 may have been dedicated. He was a Persian nobleman who came to Rome in 270 with his wife and two sons to venerate the tombs of the martyrs. Discovered while they were giving a dignified burial to the corpses, they were interrogated but refused to recant and were therefore condemned to death. Iconology also recalls Saint Marius the hermit of Auvergne, the disciple of Peter and Paul sent to Auvergne to preach and spread the Gospel. Finally, Marius of Lausanne was a Frankish bishop, historian and saint, bishop of Avenches and known above all for his Chronica. It is known that he came from a rich family of Gallo-Roman culture and became bishop of Avenches in 574. Whichever of these three saints was depicted in this statue, he is presented as a warrior who silently protects the Cathedral together with the whole large group of saints and blesseds who revolve around the statue of the Virgin.

Tales of the statue in Dome’s building site:

This spire of 19th century workmanship is positioned in correspondence with the central terrace towards the south side. On the top, San Mario has been depicted in Roman warrior attire. The straight and steady gaze gives the representation the pride of a military bearing. The statue of San Mario was made by the sculptor Pompeo Marchesi, as we know thanks to the payment order to him after the creation of the statue.