1-157-349 - Ann Ronan Picture Library/Heritage-Images

St Dionysius praying to the Virgin and Child for help to overcome the curse of Syphilis. Flysheet published in Regensburg. The German publication refers to it as the French disease. St Dionysius (Denis) is the Italian-born patron saint of Paris and was the city's first bishop. Beheaded under the persecution of the Roman emperor Valerian, he is customarily shown carrying his head. Behind him is Montmartre, the hill on which he and his two deacons were martyred