25 euro – Holy Christmas

The Vatican Mint celebrates Christmas with the issue of a 25 euro colour silver coin. On the reverse side of the coin, artist Arianna Ciccone features a detail of the Nativity in the predella of the Madonna of the Girdle by Benozzo Gozzoli, where episodes from the life of the Virgin are illustrated. The Virgin Mary and Saint Joseph are beside the infant Jesus on a luminous bed that spreads light throughout the scene. On either side shepherds are praying and above on the left an angel appears to two soldiers, who seem to shield themselves from his light. Painted around 1450 for the high altar of the church of San Fortunato in Montefalco in the province of Perugia, the work was donated in 1848 to Pope Pius IX for granting the title of city to the Umbrian town. The painting can be admired in the Pinacoteca Vaticana.