A mosaic portrait of Pope Leo XIV was illuminated on Sunday at the Basilica of St. Paul Outside the Walls in Rome, continuing a centuries-old Vatican tradition marking the election of a new pope.
The mosaic, created by the Vatican Mosaic Studio of the Fabric of Saint Peter, will be installed alongside portraits of Leo’s predecessors in the Basilica’s right nave, around 13 metres above the ground and next to the image of Pope Francis.
Measuring 137 centimetres in diameter, the round mosaic was made using glass enamels and gold tesserae mounted on a metal structure. The individual pieces were cut and set using traditional Vatican techniques, including oil-based mastic.
The work is based on a preparatory oil painting by artist Rodolfo Papa, designed specifically for translation into mosaic. While the mosaic will remain in the basilica, the original painting will be preserved at the Fabric of Saint Peter in the Vatican.
The portrait was completed about eight months after Pope Leo XIV’s election, in line with longstanding custom.
It was displayed on the occasion of the Feast of the Conversion of Saint Paul, which marks the end of the annual Week of Prayer for Christian Unity that runs from 18 to 25 January.
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