He's not one of the typical, traditional saints of Florence, but the legend of Saint George slaying a dragon dates from the twelfth century and at the beginning of the fifteenth century he was the patron saint of the "Arte degli Armaioli" . Donatello represented him as a young man, standing so proud in one of the niches around the Orsanmichele Church (see the originat at the Bargello museum).
Saint George was also represented above the city gate of San Giorgio, the beautiful relief representing him has been replaced by a copy, and the original is now in the Palazzo Vecchio Museum.
Saint George became the patron saint of England in the thirteenth century. He died ca. 300 as a martyr, decapitated, as he had refused to worship pagan gods as the emperor ordered.
He is celebrated on 23 April, and he is regarded as one of the most prominent military saints. No special event on this day in Florence but just his memory and images in Florence and around...Many foreigners passing through Tuscany since the Middle Ages had probably made St. George so familiar to us.
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