Tessere

Project:

• Javier Cotelo

Mosaic:

• Virgilio Cassio and collaborators

1981

Height:

• 2,30 m

   After the assassination attempt of 13 May 1981, on returning to the Vatican Karol Wojtyła expressed the desire that in memory of the attack an image of the Madonna be placed in the square, as he was certain that the Virgin Mary had protected him. The Pontiff also revealed that the previous year during an audience someone had pointed out that there was no image of the Virgin in St Peter’s Square.

     This gave birth to a mosaic by Javier Cotelo of the Madonna and Child, known as Mother of the Church, which is derived from a work in the Vatican Basilica, above the first altar on the left as you enter the front door which originally comes from the ancient basilica of Constantine.


     At the bottom of the mosaic are the coat of arms of Pope John Paul II (1978-2005) and the motto Totus Tuus. Under the base, however, you can read the inscription in bronze characters "Mater Ecclesiae."

Video benedizione: Angelus dell’8 dicembre 1981, Giovanni Paolo II