Summary
The Egyptian founder of eremitic life and patron of the parish in Pražnica. On Brač, his figure appears in church dedications and Renaissance stone reliefs.
Anthony the Abbot of Late Antiquity is a different person from Anthony of Padua of the 13th century.
Eremitic life in Egypt
According to the biography by Athanasius, Anthony withdrew to the Egyptian desert, where followers joined him. He became a spiritual father to small communities and one of the most important models of early monasticism. His life is placed between the 3rd and 4th centuries.
Sources: [1]
The parish and artworks in Pražnica
The parish Church of St Anthony the Abbot in Pražnica connects the saint’s dedication with the history of the town and the earlier settlement of Straževnik. The main altar depicts him with John the Baptist and the Holy Family. His figure also appears on a Renaissance relief in the cemetery Church of St Cyprian.
Sources: [2]
Two saints with similar names
In everyday speech, Saint Anthony the Abbot and Saint Anthony of Padua are often both called Ante or Antun. The abbot belongs to Egyptian early Christian monasticism, while the saint from Padua belongs to the medieval Franciscan world. The dedication in Pražnica is to the former, whose feast is celebrated on 17 January.
