Which saint was martyred by being roasted alive on a gridiron?

Which saint was martyred by being roasted alive on a gridiron? Saint Lawrence is the canonical answer.

Lawrence was one of the seven deacons of Rome under Pope Sixtus II. During Emperor Valerian’s persecution of Christians in 258, Lawrence was responsible for church property and charitable relief. Tradition says that when Roman authorities demanded the Church’s treasures, he presented the poor and suffering people he served, calling them the Church’s true wealth.

The enraged prefect supposedly ordered Lawrence to be placed on a gridiron over hot coals. The gridiron became his defining symbol, and he is commonly shown holding it or standing beside it. His feast day is 10 August, and Rome’s Basilica of Saint Lawrence Outside the Walls is traditionally regarded as his principal burial site.

The roasting account is part of longstanding Christian tradition, but some modern historians question whether Lawrence was actually executed this way; early records may simply state that he suffered martyrdom. That historical debate does not change the conventional trivia answer.