A surprise private visit by Pope Leo XIV this afternoon to the exhibition dedicated to the Bible of Borso d’Este: the pontiff, accompanied by Cardinal Pietro Parolin, in fact arrived at the Senate Library, in Palazzo della Minerva, where the exhibition dedicated to one of the highest masterpieces of Italian Renaissance art is being set up on the occasion of the Jubilee.
After more than a century, the Bible of Borso d’Este has returned to Rome as part of the exhibition Et Vidit Deus Quod Esset Bonum - The Bible of Borso d’Este. A Masterpiece for the Jubilee, which can be visited until January 16, 2026 and is promoted by the Senate of the Republic in collaboration with the Presidency of the Council of Ministers, the Ministry of Culture, the Este Galleries, the Extraordinary Commissioner for the Jubilee and the Istituto dell’Enciclopedia Treccani.
The Bible was made between 1455 and 1461 at the behest of Duke Borso d’Este, lord of Ferrara, Modena and Reggio, by calligrapher Pietro Paolo Marone and a team of illuminators led by Taddeo Crivelli and Franco dei Russi. The manuscript, composed of two volumes of finely illuminated parchment, combines the sacredness of the biblical text with the refinement of the illustrations, an expression of the technical mastery and symbolic richness of the Ferrara school. Preserved at the Biblioteca Estense Universitaria in Modena and exhibited only on very rare occasions due to its extreme fragility, the Borso d’Este Bible has exceptionally returned to public view to coincide with the Jubilee 2025 and the centenary of its first public presentation in Modena.
The Pontiff’s visit, welcomed by Senate President Ignazio La Russa and Senate Secretary General Federico Silvio Toniato, lasted about 20 minutes. After a brief greeting, the Pope unveiled the veil placed over the image of the Baby Jesus in the traditional nativity scene. President La Russa gave Pope Leo XIV a martinella, the traditional bell used to call the Senate Chamber to order, personalized and accompanied by a dedication. The Pope reciprocated by leaving an autographed message on the honor book.
Leo XIV left Palazzo della Minerva amid greetings from citizens and tourists, who on either side of the square shouted “Long live the Pope, come on Rome,” and the singing of theAdeste Fideles, performed by the Polyphonic Choir of Palazzo Madama.
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| Pope Leo XIV surprise in Senate to see Borso d'Este's Bible |
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