ROME.- The Capitoline Museums in Rome are honoring the memory of Pope Francis with a new exhibition dedicated to one of the most enduring figures in art and spirituality: the angel.

Titled “Angels. Messengers, guardians and wayfarers. The sublime creatures from antiquity to the contemporary age,” the exhibition opened May 13 and will remain on view through November 1, 2026, in the ground-floor rooms of Palazzo dei Conservatori. Conceived one year after the death of Pope Francis, the show presents angels not only as artistic subjects, but also as symbols of care, guidance, protection and hope.

Curated by Massimo Rossi Ruben and Viviana Vannucci, the exhibition brings together paintings, sculptures and works on parchment from museums, private collections and religious institutions. Through these works, visitors are invited to follow the evolution of angelic imagery across centuries, from its roots in ancient and medieval traditions to modern and contemporary interpretations.

For generations, angels have occupied a special place in the Western imagination. They appear as messengers between heaven and earth, as guardians watching over humanity, and as companions on difficult journeys. The exhibition explores these roles through three thematic sections: Messengers, Guardians and Wayfarers.

The first section looks at angels as bearers of divine messages, from biblical scenes to Renaissance art. The second focuses on the angel as protector, a figure associated with tenderness, vigilance and divine care. The third section presents angels as fellow travelers, spiritual presences that accompany people through uncertainty and change.

Among the highlights are “The Guardian Angel” by Pietro da Cortona, from the National Gallery of Ancient Art at Palazzo Barberini; “The Announcing Angel” by Carlo Dolci, on loan from the Uffizi Galleries; and Guercino’s “Saint Matthew with the Angel,” already part of the Capitoline Museums’ collection.

The exhibition also offers a rare opportunity to see works that are usually not accessible to the public. These include Giovanni Antonio Galli’s “Guardian Angel,” painted around 1620 and exceptionally loaned by the Fund for Buildings of Worship of Italy’s Ministry of the Interior. The work is normally kept in the Church of San Rufo in Rieti.

Contemporary art also plays an important role in the show, with works by artists such as Omar Galliani and Osvaldo Licini, whose symbolic and poetic visions bring the angelic figure into the modern age.

According to the curators, the exhibition is dedicated to Pope Francis because his life and mission reflected the same spirit embodied by angels: a bridge between heaven and earth, and a presence close to those most in need.

By bringing together masterpieces and rarely seen works, “Angels” offers visitors a contemplative journey through beauty, faith and imagination, while paying tribute to a pope remembered for his compassion and his concern for the most vulnerable.