Appointment · Installation · Retirement
A gift for a judge or magistrate
Judging is one of the gravest responsibilities a person can bear. This is why the Christian tradition has always placed beside those who administer justice an image recalling the just Judge. For a magistrate, a hand-painted icon is a sober, elevated and meaningful gift.
Blessed Rosario Livatino, patron of Italian magistrates
Rosario Livatino, a judge from Canicattì killed by the Mafia on 21 September 1990 and beatified in Agrigento in 2021, is the first magistrate recognised as a martyr. By a decree of 7 October 2026 he was recognised as patron of Italian magistrates: a model of integrity, respect for the law and consistency between faith, conscience and the exercise of justice. In his notebooks he wrote the initials «S.T.D.», sub tutela Dei: under the protection of God.
For a Sicilian magistrate, or for anyone who sees in Livatino an example, an image of the Blessed can be considered together with the iconographer, in keeping with the guidance of the Church.
The most suitable subjects
Christ Pantocrator
The just Judge, with the Gospel: the most solemn icon for a court office.
The Saviour of the Fiery Eye
The gaze of Christ that sees into the depths: justice and mercy.
Saint Ivo
Patron of jurists, «advocate of the poor».
The Deesis
Christ between the Mother of God and Saint John, who intercede for humanity.
Christ Pantocrator
Round panel with Greek inscription.
Saviour of the Fiery Eye
The gaze of Christ, judge and saviour.
Deesis triptych
For a study or a formal room.
When to give it
For an appointment or installation in a new office, a move to a senior post, or retirement after a lifetime on the bench: it is often a gift from colleagues, court staff or the local bar. The giver's name, dedication and date are written on the back of the panel or in the booklet, never on the front, which carries only sacred inscriptions. Every icon is commissioned with an offering proportionate to the time and materials of the work, and arrives with a certificate of authenticity on real parchment.
Frequently asked questions
Who is the patron of Italian magistrates?
Blessed Rosario Livatino, a Sicilian judge killed by the Mafia in 1990, recognised as patron of Italian magistrates by a decree of 7 October 2026.
What to give a retiring judge?
A sober and lasting gift: an icon of Christ Pantocrator or of the Deesis, hand-painted with 23¾ karat gold, with the colleagues' dedication on the back.