Saint Longinus By Bernini

The statue of Saint Longinus is a marble sculpture by the Italian artist Gian Lorenzo Bernini. It depicts Saint Longinus, the Roman soldier who pierced the side of Christ with a spear and who, according to tradition, later converted to Christianity and became a saint. The sculpture embodies Bernini’s distinctive Baroque style, characterized by dramatic movement, intense emotion, and vivid realism, powerfully capturing the inner transformation of Saint Longinus.

Bernini renders the moment of spiritual awakening with striking clarity. Saint Longinus’s face is turned upward toward the sky, his mouth slightly open, expressing revelation, faith, repentance, and exaltation. The Holy Lance is pushed aside, while his armor and military equipment lie behind him, symbolizing his renunciation of his life as a Roman soldier. With arms outstretched, Saint Longinus opens himself to the divine light descending upon him. The sculpture evokes the Christian theme of conversion, redemption, and the transformative power of God’s grace.

The Story of Saint Longinus

Saint Longinus was a blind Roman soldier, later revered as a Warrior of Faith. He is known through biblical writings, particularly the Gospel of John, the only Gospel that explicitly refers to the event associated with him. He played a significant role as a witness to the death of Jesus Christ.

According to tradition, after Longinus pierced Christ’s side while He was on the cross, blood and water flowed out and splashed onto Longinus’s eyes, miraculously restoring his sight. This moment led directly to his conversion to Christianity.

Over time, the story of Saint Longinus developed into various local traditions. The city of Lanciano in the Abruzzo region claims to be his birthplace and maintains that he was martyred there. In contrast, the city of Mantua in Lombardy asserts that Longinus preached in the region, suffered martyrdom there, and brought the relics of the Precious Blood of Christ and the sponge used during the Passion to the Basilica of Saint Andrew in Mantua.

At the Vatican, March 15 is celebrated each year as the Feast of Saint Longinus, commemorated at St. Peter’s Basilica. Today, the Basilica also preserves a fragment of the spear believed to have been used by Saint Longinus to pierce Christ’s side, commonly known as the “Spear of Destiny” or the “Holy Lance.”