1860s
Saint Napoleon-The Patron Saint of Warriors
Artist/maker unknownBefore the French Revolution, the French monarchy had attached the feast of Saint Louis, the patron saint of every French king from 1610 to 1792, to August 15, the feast of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary. After coming into power, Napoleon instituted his own feast of Saint Napoleon on August 15--Bonaparte's actual birthday--to commemorate Neopolis, an obscure early Christian thought to have been martyred for refusing to pledge his allegiance to Emperor Maximilian.
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