Top 10 saints facts

Russia, England, Portugal and several others. The dragon-slayer saint was very popular as a patron saint during the Middle Ages. Many Patronages of Saint George exist around the world, including: Malta, Georgia, England, Egypt, Bulgaria, Aragon, Catalonia, Romania, Ethiopia, Greece, India, Iraq, Lebanon, Lithuania, Palestine, Portugal, Sardinia, Serbia, Macedonia, Ukraine, Russia and Syria, as well as numerous cities, professions and organizations.

King of France. Louis IX (1214 – 1270) is the only canonised king of France, mostly due to his support and participation in the crusades. There are many places named after him, including the city of St. Louis, Missouri, and both the state and city of San Luis Potosí in Mexico.

St. Christopher. In the Eastern Orthodox Church, certain icons covertly identify Saint Christopher with the head of a dog. The background to the dog-headed Christopher is laid in the reign of the Emperor Diocletian, when a man named Reprebus, Rebrebus or Reprobus was captured in combat against tribes dwelling to the west of Egypt in Cyrenaica.

Francis of Assisi. Saint Francis of Assisi is credited with creating the first nativity scene in 1223 at Greccio, central Italy, in an attempt to place the emphasis of Christmas upon the worship of Christ rather than upon secular materialism and gift giving.

Saint Arnulf of Metz (c. 582 – 640 AD) was a Frankish bishop of Metz and advisor to the Merovingian court of Austrasia, who retired to the Abbey of Remiremont. This bishop became famous by miraculous reproduction of beer in south France. Also he is author of prayer to beer.

Chorea. In the Middle Ages, they were dancing in front of St. Vitus figurines on the day of his feast (15 VI). This dance has become synonymous with chorea - a neurological disorder resulting in involuntary and uncontrolled body movements.

Sofia. The Saint Sofia statue is located at the intersection of Maria Louisa Boulevard and Todor Alexandrov Boulevard. It was erected in 2000 replacing Lenin’s monument, which was removed from the same spot in 1991. The crown symbolizes the power, the wreath the fame and the owl the wisdom.

Jew. Paul the Apostle was an apostle (though not one of the Twelve Apostles) who taught the gospel of the Christ to the first century world. Paul is generally considered one of the most important figures of the Apostolic Age and in the mid-30s to the mid-50s AD he founded several churches in Asia Minor and Europe. He took advantage of his status as both a Jew and a Roman citizen to minister to both Jewish and Roman audiences.

St. Bruno of Cologne. The Carthusian monastic order was founded by Bruno of Cologne and a handful of companions near Grenoble, France, in 1084–1086. Its first customary, often called its “rule,” was written c. 1127 at the Grande Chartreuse, the motherhouse of the order. Carthusian monasteries are called charterhouses. The name Carthusian is derived from the Chartreuse Mountains.

George. In early Christian art, Saint George is often depicted with fellow dragon-slayer Saint Theodore. In fact, portrayals of Saint Theodore slaying a dragon predate those of his more famous companion. Before the 11th century, Saint George, an early Christian martyr, was sometimes shown killing a man rather than a dragon.