Saint Christopher

In the church of St. Nicholas in Treviso, you can observe the famous fresco of St. Christopher, especially known for its size. The work is, in fact, about 12 meters high and it even reaches the trusses. The saint is portrayed as a naive and hieratic man, as was often in the folk art of the 1300s and 1400s.

Despite the fresco dates back to this period of history, the style used is rather primitive, as a matter of fact, you can easily notice the lack of expressiveness and plasticity in the representation. In the work there is also a child, who is portrayed on the shoulders of the saint and, while he is clinging to his ear, he blesses him with a lively and graceful glance. St. Christopher immerses his feet in the river Sile,in which there are the typical animals: shrimp, eel, trout and luccio. As a matter of fact it is possible that, before the construction of the church, by the river, there was a small church frequented by fishermen and boatmen.
Christopher is a martyr, with a red cloak and he crosses the water, subsisting on a tree-stick. He is also revered by the Catholic and Orthodox Churches. The name "Christopher", from the greek "Christ-bearer," suggests that with the advent of Christ, the man is no more responsible just for his own little world, but of all creation.