Saint Lawrence or Laurence was one of the seven deacons of the city of Rome under Pope Sixtus II who were martyred in the persecution of the Christians that the Roman Emperor Valerian ordered in 258.
Saint Lawrence
St. Lawrence Distributing the Treasures of the Church by Bernardo Strozzi
The Martyrdom of Saint Lawrence by Rubens (1614)
San Giacomo dall'Orio (Venice) - Martyrdom of San Lorenzo- by Palma il giovane
Pope Sixtus II, also written as Pope Xystus II, was bishop of Rome from 31 August 257 until his death on 6 August 258. He was killed along with seven deacons, including Lawrence of Rome, during the persecution of Christians by the Emperor Valerian.
Fresco of Pope Sixtus II by Sandro Botticelli in the Sistine Chapel.