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Saint Florian

Saint Florian is the patron saint of Poland, Linz, Austria, and firefighters. His feast day is May 4.

Florian lived in the time of the emperors Diocletian and Maximian, and was commander of the imperial Army in eastern Bavaria. The emperors sought to root out Christianity, and sent Aquilinus to persecute Christians. When Aquilinus ordered Florian to offer sacrifice to pagan gods, he refused, and cheerfully accepted the beatings of the soldiers, who used clubs, spikes and fire to torture him. He was executed by drowning in the River Enns. Later he appeared in a vision to a woman named Valeria so that she could bury him in a more appropriate location.

Florian is buried in Krakow, Poland. The Austrian town of St. Florian is named after him. According to legend, his body was stored at the location of the monastery of St. Florian.

Florian is the patron saint of Upper Austria jointly with Saint Leopold.

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