Set within a Baroque frame, this precious rectangular panel—attributed to a Florentine painter of the early 15th century—once belonged to an altar in the Cathedral.
At the center stands Saint Reparata, virgin and martyr who lived in Caesarea of Palestine in the 3rd century. She is co-patroness of the Diocese of Florence and titular saint of the city’s ancient cathedral, which dates back to the 5th century. According to legend, the building was dedicated to her by Bishop Zenobius, who received her miraculous aid during the battle of Fiesole (405 AD) against the barbarian hordes led by Radagaisus.
For this reason, the saint is shown standing, portrayed as a young woman wrapped in a red mantle—an allusion to the blood she shed for her faith—holding a closed book and a palm branch, also a symbol of martyrdom. In her right hand, she carries the staff of a large banner bearing the emblem of the Florentine people: a red cross on a white field.
On either side of the central figure are four scenes illustrating the most significant moments of her passion, as handed down in hagiographic tradition. From left to right and top to bottom, we see: a torturer pouring boiling lead onto the saint’s head; Reparata thrown into a blazing furnace; two soldiers tormenting her chest with heated metal plates; and finally, her decapitation.