Hl. Aloisius von Gonzaga

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Youthful figure of Saint Aloysius Gonzaga with cross and lily in front of the church of St. Ulrich in Vienna. The figure from the 2nd half of the 18th century was made by Franz Xaver Seegen. Aloysius Gonzaga (1568-1591) was an Italian Jesuit. At the age of ten he was appointed page at the court of the Medici in Brescia. Afterwards he worked at the court of King Philipp II of Spain in Madrid. His intensive care for sick people led unintentionally to his early death. When a plague epidemic raged in Rome, Aloisius became infected and died at the age of 23. On 31 December 1726 he was canonized by Pope Benedict XIII.