A Guide to
​St Peter's Basilica

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Monument to Pope Benedict XV

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Monument to Pope Benedict XV

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Monument to Pope Benedict XV (1926-28) by Pietro Canonica
​(Giacomo della Chiesa, Genoa, b.1854/r.1914-22)

The monument to Pope Benedict XV is by the sculptor Pietro Canonica (1869-1959). The pope kneels on a tomb covered in olive branches, symbols of peace. The large bronze relief depicts the Virgin Mary presenting the Christ child to a world engulfed in flames. 
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Benedict XV was elected pope a few weeks before the outbreak of World War One. He was a vociferous opponent of the war, which he described as a 'useless massacre' and a 'senseless destruction'.

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