Severus was born in Pamphylia and then arrived with his parents in the city of Viza in Thrace, at a time when a group of martyrs was about to be executed. Severus converted the centurion Memnon to the faith, and for this both were condemned and killed. The name Severus is also commemorated in the Geroniminian Martyriology. Furthermore, Severus is the name of a priest who appears in the Passio of St. Philip of Heraclea, martyred in Adrianople and commemorated on the 22th of October. There are reasons to believe that the Holy Martyr is the same one celebrated with Philip of Heraclea, martyr of Adrianople.

Tales of the statue in Dome’s building site:

The statue, created in 1824 by the sculptor Pompeo Marchesi, has the features of a young man without a beard, with short, curly hair. The semi-naked body is wrapped in a soft drapery that reaches down to the feet. The right hand is near the chest, the left arm runs along the body. This solemn position gives the saint elegance and hieraticity. On pylon P55, in the north transept, there is a statue identical to that of Marchesi, of which neither the author nor the period of creation are known; however, it could be the original statue, while the one on the spire would be a reproduction.