Hand-painted icon of Saint Michael the Archangel

• ◆As Archistrategos, commander of the heavenly armies: in armour, with sword or spear, trampling the dragon.
• ◆In court robes, with the messenger's staff and the transparent sphere bearing the initials of Christ.
• ◆With outspread wings and a golden halo, signs of his spiritual nature and of God's glory.
• ◆In icons of the Synaxis of the Archangels, together with Gabriel and Raphael.

In Italy devotion to the Archangel is ancient: the sanctuary of Monte Sant'Angelo on the Gargano, a pilgrimage site for over fifteen centuries and a UNESCO World Heritage site, and the Sacra di San Michele in the Susa Valley are its most famous places. The Catholic Church celebrates him on 29 September together with Gabriel and Raphael; Orthodox tradition keeps the Synaxis of the Archangel Michael and all the Bodiless Powers on 8 November.

The icon of Saint Michael is a gift for those who bear his name (Michael, Michelle, Michele), for someone facing a trial, for a new home to be protected, and for police officers, whose patron he is. Like every icon from the atelier, it is fully gilded with 23¾ karat gold, with inscriptions in Greek or Latin, and is commissioned with an offering proportionate to the time and materials of the work.