Saint Hippolytus

According to tradition, Saint Hippolytus was a Roman soldier converted to Christianity by Saint Lawrence and for that reason he was martyred. He is therefore portrayed dressed as a soldier and here, specifically, in a very complete suit of armour. The close resemblance of this figure to one of the 'filloles' or uprights of the cathedral high altarpiece enables us to attribute it in all certainty to the sculptor Pere Oller and relate it to the patronage of Canon Bernat Despujol (1385-1434), noted for endowing Vic Cathedral with some of its most highly prized artistic gems, like the silver monstrance, liturgical ornaments and, above all, the high altarpiece. The devotion of the Despujols to Saint Hippolytus is explained because they hailed from the town of Sant Hipòlit de Voltregà. A note by Canon Ripoll published by Dr. Ramon Ordeig i Mata allows us to suppose that this piece may come from a front on Carrer de Sant Hipòlit in Vic, a street where the house of the cathedral benefice of Sant Hipòlit used to be, founded precisely by Canon Despujol.