Exporting Devotion

In this episode, we dive into the thriving sacred art market of 19th-century Rome, where religious paintings and sculptures were produced and shipped worldwide. Orchestrated by Pope Pius IX, artists like Pietro Gagliardi created works that carried both beauty and spiritual power, enhanced by papal blessings and indulgences. Through partnerships with influential patrons, such as the Jesuits, Rome became the global hub for Catholic art, exporting faith and religious iconography to parishes across Europe, the Americas, and beyond.