A Guide to St Peter's Basilica

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Monument to Pope Pius XII

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Monument to Pope Pius XII

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Monument to Pope Pius XII (1960-3) by Francesco Messina
​(Eugenio Pacelli, Rome, b.1876/r.1939-58)
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The bronze monument to Pope Pius XII is the work of Francesco Messina (1900-95). Pius XII sports a simple mitre rather than a papal tiara, a reminder that the pope is first and foremost a bishop, one whose diocese is the Eternal City itself.

​Following a common practise, the monument was financed by the men the Pope had elevated to the rank of cardinal. Pius XII is depicted wearing spectacles, contrary to the wishes of the commissioning cardinals.