Musées de Langres – Maison des Lumières Denis Diderot – Musée d'Art et d'Histoire

This bas-relief is thought to have originally been part of a rood screen erected in Langres Cathedral in the mid-16th century. It depicts the martyrdom of Mammes of Caesarea, a 3rd century saint who lived in Cappadocia, in what is now eastern Turkey. Mammes preached Christianity and read the Holy Scriptures to wild animals. After his arrest, he was cast into the flames and left to burn for three days, but emerged unscathed. The Cathedral was dedicated to him in the 8th century, following its acquisition of a relic, a bone believed to have come from the saint’s neck. Langres Cathedral was named after Mammes and benefited from its association with this popular saint.