he Roman Martyrology for 13th March recalls the death in the year 857 of Saint Rodrigo, a Christian priest of Mozarab background, venerated as one of the Martyrs of Córdoba.
Tradition states that Rodrigo had two brothers: one was a Muslim, the other irreligious. Once, after his brothers began to fight one another, he attempted to break them up, however, they turned on him instead and beat him.
When Rodrigo awoke, he found that his Muslim brother had reported to the authorities that the Rodrigo had converted to Islam. When our Saint maintained his loyalty to the Christian faith, he was accused of apostasy and then beheaded.
In this image of the Saint, painted around 1650 by Bartolomé Esteban Murillo (1617-1682), we do not see episodes from his life but rather the artist presents him in his vestments along with the symbols of his martyrdom: his neck reveals the wound that killed him. The palm frond held in his hand can be interpreted as a symbol of victory in the defence of his faith. The crown is being presented to the martyr is a heavenly reward for loyalty to God, while on his richly decorated vestments we see Saints Peter and Paul, who both lost their lives defending their faith.
The Arts of Golden Age Spain and the Hispanic World 