Abdon is a martyr originally from Persia that lived during the third century, that suffered martrydom in Rome. His identity, along with the one of his companion Sennen, is surrounded by a veil of legend, but at the base we have certain news, even because the two are remembered in many ufficial texts and martyrologists; these ones allude to the deposition of the relics in the cemetery of Ponziano that used to be found in Rome, on the Portuense way. Other texts mention Abdon and Sennen as Persian princes that in their condition as slaves or freedman in Rome they lavished burying the bodies of the martyrs. By cause of this type of effort they were targeted by the christian persecution, imprisoned and beheaded by the gladiators. In the saint Marcus church in Rome there was an altar with relics dedicated to them.

The tales of the statue in Dome’s building site:

The Saint Abdon present on the G19 spire was made by the sculptor Nardo Pajella, that realized it between the 1951 and 1953. He was a young saint, tall and powerful, represented while he was making a step ahead with straight gaze in front of him. He brings his left hand to the chest, while the right arm is brought down along his side while he keeps in his hand the martrydom palm. In reality an even older version of this statue exists, realized towards the start of 800 by Gerolamo Argenti and that today is kept at the Marmisti building site, after having been held at the Dome’s museum for conservative needs. This last one shows some differences, like the raised right arm and the left one placed by his side.