A little known “unveiling” takes place after mass every day at Santa Maria in Vallicella, the Chiesa Nuova as it’s commonly called (even if it’s from early 17th century), on Corso Vittorio in downtown Rome.
– Image courtesy of Livioandronico2013, CC BY-SA 4.0Legend holds that a non-believer threw a rock at an icon of the Madonna and Child, which promptly began to bleed. To protect the miraculous icon from any further attacks, in 1609 Rubens was commissioned to paint the altarpiece which would surround it, as well as a copper plate that would cover it.
– Image courtesy of Matthias Kabel (CC BY-SA 3.0)Rubens’ altarpiece consists of a series of concentric rings of cherubs in adoration, while the copper plate depicts a Madonna e bambino benedicente (Madonna and blessing Child).
Via an ingenious system of strings and pulleys however, the priest is able to slide Rubens’ Madonna e bambino benedicente out of the way and reveal the ancient, miraculous Madonna and Child icon below.
