Sydney · Canberra · Adelaide · Brisbane · Perth
Sacred icons hand-painted in Italy for Australia
Australia is one of the lands where the Christian East is most alive outside its homeland: Sydney is the seat of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of Australia, of the Maronite and Melkite eparchies, of the Antiochian archdiocese and of the Russian diocese. At the 2021 census more than 1.1 million Australians declared Italian ancestry. For these families an icon hand-painted in Italy joins faith, Tradition and roots.
The Christian East in Australia
- In Redfern, Sydney, the Cathedral of the Annunciation of Our Lady, seat of the Greek Orthodox Archbishop of Australia: a building of 1848, reconsecrated for Orthodox worship in 1970.
- In Harris Park the Co-Cathedral of Our Lady of Lebanon, Australia's largest Maronite church, of the Eparchy of Saint Maron of Sydney.
- In Darlington the Cathedral of Saint Michael and All Angels of the Melkite Greek Catholics, present in Sydney since the 1880s: Oceania's oldest Eastern Christian community.
- Also in Redfern, the Antiochian Cathedral of Saint George, mother church of the Antiochian Orthodox of Australia, New Zealand and the Philippines.
- In Strathfield the Russian Orthodox Cathedral of Saints Peter and Paul, built from 1951 to 1954, seat of the Australian diocese of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia.
- For Catholics attached to the ancient Roman rite, the Priestly Fraternity of Saint Peter celebrates the Traditional Latin Mass in the dioceses of Sydney, Parramatta, Canberra, Adelaide and Broken Bay.
For Australian families
The Annunciation or the Mother of God for a Greek home, the name saint for a name day, Saint Michael for a Melkite family, the Mother of God of Tenderness for a Maronite family, an icon with a Latin inscription for those who follow the Traditional Mass: every icon is unique, painted entirely by hand in Sicily and fully gilded with 23¾ karat gold, with inscriptions in Greek or Latin.
Saint George
The holy horseman, a patron loved by Greek and Antiochian families.
Saint Michael the Archangel
Prince of the heavenly hosts.
Mother of God of Tenderness
Gold ground, decorated border.
Holy Family
Floral border, Latin inscription.
Commissioning and shipping
Consultations take place online, in English or Italian. During the work you receive photographs of every stage; the icon arrives with protective packaging and, on request, insured shipping, together with its certificate of authenticity on real parchment and its explanatory booklet. Shipping conditions and any customs formalities are checked case by case at the time of commission.
Frequently asked questions
Can I commission an icon hand-painted in Italy from Australia?
Yes: consultations take place online, in English or Italian, by writing to Concetta Basile on WhatsApp or Telegram. During the work you receive photographs of every stage.
Can the inscriptions be in Greek for a Greek Orthodox family?
Yes: an icon's inscriptions are always in Greek or Latin. For a Greek family the monograms and names are written in Greek, as the Tradition requires.
An icon for the name day of a Greek relative in Australia?
It is one of the best-loved gifts in the Greek tradition: the icon of the name saint, with the name and date on the back of the panel.
Is an icon suitable for a Maronite or Melkite family?
Yes: Maronites and Melkites are Catholics of Eastern tradition and know the icon well. The Mother of God, Saint Michael, Saint George and the name saint are much-loved subjects.
How does the icon reach Australia?
With protective packaging and, on request, insured shipping, together with the certificate of authenticity on real parchment and the booklet. Conditions and customs formalities are checked at the time of commission.