The saints Canzio, Canziano e Canzianilla are considered in the tradition three christian brothers, that were martyred near Aquileia under Diocletian’s empire. Related with the noble and powerful family of the Anici, the three brothers were educated towards the christian faith by their pedagogue Proto. At the death of the emperor Carino, maybe a relative of theirs, and the intensification of the persecution against the christians, the three brothers decided to leave Rome and take refuge at Aquileia, where their friend Crisogono was bishop. Before leaving Rome, the three freed all of their slaves after baptizing them, they sold everything they owned and gave what gained to the poors. Arrived at Aquileia, however, they were informed of the martyr of Crisogono at Aquae Gradatae. During the night Christ appeared to them, and exhorted for them to go where the martyrdom took place.  The following day, arrived at the destination, they kneeled and prayed on Crisogono’s grave, but they were arrested by the guards of the aquileians  magistrates. Invited to reject their christian faith, Canzio, Canziano and Canzianilla with Proto refused and were immediately beheaded . The monk Zoilo, the same that previously recovered and buried the remains of Crisogono, gave them a common burial in a pit covered by marble plates. The day of their memory is the 31st of may, date of their passion following the tradition.

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

The statue of Saint Canziano was made in the 1950s following a model by Arturo Malerba. Not much is known about this statue, just that it’s surely part of the group of statues made in the half Nine hundred  and destined to take place on top of the spires that remained empty following the bombings of the Second World War . Saint Canziano here it’s represented as a young man with smooth and delicate features, while he looks straight ahead, contemplating something that is very far. In his left hand he holds a laurel crown, symbol of glory and immortality.