The Martyrologium Romanum has this to say:
At Sion-en-Valais, Gaul, at a spot called Agaune, the birthday of the holy martyrs Maurice, Exuperius, Candidus, Victor, Innocent and Vitalis, with their companions of the same legion, who were slain for Christ under Maximian, enlightening the world by their glorious martyrdom.
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| "The Martyrdom of St. Maurice" by El Greco 1580-1582 |
Devotion to St. Maurice spread throughout the centuries, reaching even to the Holy Roman Emperors with some of his relics being used in their coronation ceremonies; still others were anointed before his altar in St. Peter's in Rome.
Evidence of this devotion can certainly be found by way of the following set of Solemn Mass vestments hailing from the Basilicata, Italy. The set in question dates to circa 1740-1760 and of particular note is the inclusion of figurative depictions of the saint on all of the main pieces of the set -- an inclusion that is relatively rare for vestments hailing from this period, a period characterized more by its use of vegetal designs than more explicit religious imagery and symbols. This particular set is also characterized by use of those too of course (and also, it should be noted, Eucharistic elements such as grapes and wheat) but certainly the colourful depictions of St. Maurice make this particular set stand out visually from many of the sets more typical to the era, providing for an interesting synthesis of two different approaches to vestment design.
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| Chasuble |
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| Cope |
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| Dalmatic |
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| Burse |
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| Chalice Veil |
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| Humeral Veil |
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| Stole and Maniple |
