The Church of St. Vitale in the Italian capital is home to what is believed to be the earliest known image of Our Lady of Guadalupe, according to Catholic News Agency. The church, built in 386, is recognised as the oldest Christian place of worship still standing in Rome’s historic centre.
Church authorities explained that the painting, created around 1550, closely resembles the painting associated with the apparitions to St. Juan Diego in 1531. Historians attributed the work to Jesuit artist Giovanni Battista Fiammeri, who was active in the city and went on to decorate the entire church during the Jubilee of 1600.
Father Elio Lops, parish priest of St. Vitale, noted that the work has received little attention despite its significance. He stated there was no doubt about its identity, citing shared elements such as the Virgin’s gaze, the maternity belt and the crescent moon beneath her feet, although some details differ.
Church sources said Spanish missionaries returning from the New World may have provided sketches that inspired the artwork. They also pointed to a small caravel painted beneath the Virgin as evidence supporting the hypothesis and reflecting early transatlantic contact.
Representatives noted that the representation predates other Roman representations of Our Lady of Guadalupe by several decades, giving it unique value as a testament to the devotion’s early spread in Europe, Catholic News Agency reported.