Mary, as the mother of Jesus Christ, was venerated as an intermediary between humanity and God, and her figure became central in sacred art and popular devotion. During this period, the rose was already considered a symbol of purity and beauty, and its association with the Madonna gradually consolidated.

It is known how the Virgin was invoked with names such as rosa mystica, rosa fragrans, rosa novella, rosa das rosas, or “rose among roses”. As the famous French historian Jacques Le Goff recalls, according to Saint Bernard the Virgin was symbolized “both by the white rose, which indicates her virginity, and by the red rose which makes her charity sensitive”. On the other hand, the flower was not only a Marian symbol, but also a Christological one, recalling the passion and sacrifice of the Messiah.

The iconography of the Madonna of the Rose did not cease to develop in the following centuries, in the great seasons of the Renaissance and Baroque: Botticelli, Raphael, Parmigianino and Caravaggio contributed to the variation and enrichment of the theme.

We preserve a very refined ivory sculpture, carved in the round, from the 17th century. The origin is French. This work depicts the Madonna holding, with her left hand, the Baby Jesus with the cruciger globe; the rose, in the right hand, is as if it were brought to the spectator.