Saint Reparata Being Prepared for Execution

Martyred under the third-century Roman emperor Decius, Saint Reparata was a patron saint of Florence, for whom its cathedral was named. These panels are from the high altarpiece of that city’s cathedral (the main panels are now in the Uffizi Gallery, Florence). Unusually, the altarpiece had a double, or two-tiered, base (predella), the lower level of which showed eight scenes from the saint’s life. Her tormentors have been scratched out and defaced by viewers who responded in outrage to their actions.