Madonna di Sant'Agnese, Rome, Italy
Under the Pamphilij Pope Innocent X, the Doria Pamphilj princes rebuilt their Roman palace and associated church of St. Agnes in the Arena, the back of which now became the front, facing Bernini's new Fountain of the Four Rivers in Piazza Navona -- site of the ancient arena where St. Agnes was tortured. A highly venerated fresco of the Madonna and Child, attributed to Antoniazzo Romano (active 1461-1508), was carefully removed from the old façade in 1652. On June 28, 1653, it was reinstalled on the new façade in a majestic niche designed by architect Carlo Rainaldi.Photo by Maria Cristina Giammetta from www.collezione-online.it.