The Miracle of the AngelAfter Ventura Salimbeni

This oil on canvas (c. 1602) reinterprets a legendary plague in Rome. In the foreground, Pope Gregory I leads a penitential procession among the sick and dying. Above Castel Sant’Angelo, the Archangel Michael appears, sheathing his sword as a sign that divine punishment has ceased. The scene links a specific urban landmark to the enduring idea of miraculous intercession in times of crisis.