Golden Hands

The Madonna with Golden Hands (or the Madonna of San Sisto) in Rome.

Many stories can be told about this much loved painting. It depicts Mary as advocate, gazing at the onlooker as she raises her hands in prayer.

Tradition holds the icon was painted by St Luke, though art historians date it to the 6th century. This means it is one of very few images that survived the iconoclasm of the Eastern Church. Due to its age it is safe to assume it was the prototype for many other images, including the famous Madonna of Aracoeli in Rome.

The painting is clearly of Byzantine origin. It is believed to have been brought to Rome in the 8th century by religious refugees. For many centuries it was venerated in the monastery chapel of Santa Maria in Tempulo. It favoured this place over any others, as the image miraculously travelled back there by itself after pope Sergius III had it moved to the basilica of St John Lateran. Like in many other miracle stories it is Mary herself who decides where she wants to be venerated, not her devotees.

In 1221 the Dominican nuns of Santa Maria in Tempulo moved to their new home in San Sisto. Thanks to their efforts St Dominic gave permission for the icon to be transferred to their new church. It was kept there until 1575 when it was moved to the nearby church of San Domenico e Sisto. Finally in 1931 it was moved to its current home, the church of Santa Maria del Rosario at Monte Mario.

Why the name Madonna with Golden Hands?

To answer this question we need to return to Byzantium, the icon's place of origin. The Greeks believed that a person's right hand holds special powers. That is why, when the icon was created, Mary's right hand was not painted but formed of a thin sheet of gold and added to the icon afterwards. A few centuries later the left hand was also gilded and the image became known as the Madonna with Golden Hands.

Before the restoration of the image in the 1950s the two golden hands could still be seen, as the picture shows.

Wonders of Rome