Saint Didacus of Alcala Miracle of the roses

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Saint Didacus and the Miracle of the Roses. Niccolò Betti, ca. 1610–1611

Niccolò Betti (1546–after 1618) was an Italian painter trained in Florence under Michele Tosini. Early in his career, Betti participated in the celebrated decoration of Francesco I de’ Medici’s studiolo in the Palazzo Vecchio, contributing The Sack of Corinth as part of the cycle devoted to the Four Elements. His style reflects the influence of Giovan Battista Naldini and Francesco Morandini, demonstrating the elegant figure types and refined coloration associated with late Florentine Mannerism. After his Florentine years, Betti worked in Pisa, where he contributed to the restoration of the cathedral between 1576 and 1578.

This painting depicts the well-known Miracle of the Roses associated with Saint Didacus of Alcalá (also known as San Diego), a humble Franciscan lay brother famed for his care of the sick and the poor. According to tradition, Didacus often gathered bread from the monastery table to distribute among the needy. When accused of theft and ordered to reveal what he carried under his cloak, the loaves miraculously transformed into roses. Betti’s interpretation captures this climactic moment: the saint opens his mantle, and instead of bread, a cascade of luminous flowers spills forth.

The figures surrounding him intensify the emotional drama. A needy couple, already extending their hands to receive bread, draw back in astonished reverence. The man’s leg is wrapped in bandages, and his alms bowl rests empty nearby, suggesting both physical suffering and desperate hope. A laborer pauses mid-stride to witness the marvel, while two fellow friars lean in closely behind Didacus, their faces registering wonder as they peer into the folds of his cloak. The composition emphasizes not spectacle, but tenderness and shared humanity.

This canvas formed part of a larger commission by the House of Medici, who, between 1610 and 1611, entrusted twenty-two Tuscan artists with producing thirty-two paintings for Queen Margarita of Austria, sister-in-law of Cosimo II de’ Medici. Intended for the Franciscan convent of the Descalzas Reales in Valladolid—a foundation Queen Margarita had personally supported—the works were shipped from Livorno in June 1611. After the Queen’s sudden death that same October, the paintings suffered damage during storage and transport, and were described as “so rotten and broken, that all value was lost.” Over time, however, Spanish artists undertook careful restoration, allowing works such as Betti’s Saint Didacus to be preserved and appreciated today.

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This original image is in the public domain, however, the file now offered is a manually restored version of this artwork, in a higher resolution. Manually restoration was necessary in order to improve quality, without covering the original image. Imperfections due to historical aging of the source may still be present.