Saint Silvan

Saint Silvan was a Christian martyr possibly from the fourth century and buried in St Blaise's Church in Dubrovnik since the mid of the 19th century.

[1] According to William Frederick Wingfield, the skeleton of St. Silvanus was given together with a wax figure by Pope Pius IX to the city of Dubrovnik.

[2] The figure shows a young man with an embroidered cross on the front of his garment, indicating that he may have been a priest or possibly even a higher ranking cleric.

Most sources claim that the Saint Silvan at Dubrovnik was martyred in the 4th century — a gruesome wound on his neck suggests the manner of his martyrdom — which may indicate he was Saint Silvanus, Bishop of Emesa, Phoenicia, martyred c. 311.

Other saints named Silvan died in various ways (e.g., thrown off a cliff or of natural causes) or at an age suggesting they cannot be the Saint Silvan at Dubrovnik.