St. Bernardino was a popular Franciscan preacher in 15th-century Italy. Among other things, he preached devotion to the name of Jesus and would display it in the form of a monogram set in a shining sun, as seen at left. The monogram was based on "IHC," the first three letters of Jesus' name in Greek, although in the monogram the third letter is always rendered "S."
St. Bernardino is typically shown in his Franciscan habit (note the cincture with three knots) as at left.
Most images have St. Bernardino displaying the monogram on a small tablet that he holds up for the viewer to see (example). This was in fact his practice in his sermons.
The three mitres in the painting at left represent the dioceses of Siena, Urbino, and Ferrara. At various times the saint was offered the office of bishop in all three of these, but he refused in order to continue his missionary work throughout Italy.
Feast day: July 2
At left, El Greco's painting of St. Bernardino
Another image:
Santo in Barcelona
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