In the 17th and 18th centuries in particular, Ptuj had many issues with regards to fire. On a number of occasions, the city was in flames. In an attempt to remedy this, the townsfolk turned to St Florian for help, going so far as to build a monument to the man. This was in 1745, and whilst it didn’t really help with the fires, the statue still stands today. In 1761 extra figures of saints were added, but they were removed in the 19th century leaving the monument that we find today.