In the eighteenth century, the sense of touch was understood as the organ that walled off the entire exterior of the body, thus being

The staging of fervour, in artistic manifestations or in the processions of disciplinants, represented the strength of the body in the face of pain. Many martyrs, such as Saint Lucy, were depicted in scenes in which they were tortured by their executioners. However, their faith made them appear as hieratic figures able to endure, rather than showing the vulnerability of the body to violence.