La Madonna del Divino Amore

Original: late 14th / early 15th century
Small mosaic
Church of Sant'Ignazio, Rome

This mosaic is on one of the altars in the church and is a copy of an image in a sanctuary on the Appian Way that has been associated with Marian miracles. During World War II Pope Pius XII led the people of Rome to the sanctuary to pray for the safety of their city. Still today it is the site of frequent well-attended processions.

The pattern for images of La Madonna del Divino Amore is as seen here. The child sits on Mary's right arm; a dove is above and angels with censers flank the two.

The Latin words at the base of the image, mater divini amoris ora pro nobis, mean "Mother of divine love, pray for us."

Read more about portraits of the Virgin Mary.

Photographed at the church by Richard Stracke, shared under Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike license.