Miracle of the Snow

The Miracle of the Snow, depicting the legendary foundation of Santa Maria Maggiore in Rome when snow fell on the Esquiline Hill in August, appears in this 1475 panel now at Polesden Lacey in Surrey. The miracle — said to have occurred in 358 CE, directing Pope Liberius to build a church on the snow-covered site — gave Santa Maria Maggiore its popular name (Basilica della Neve) and provided the subject for occasional narrative paintings. The early date makes this one of Perugino's most significant surviving early works, showing his ability to handle historical narrative before his style had reached full maturity. Polesden Lacey's English country house collection, now in National Trust care, preserves this Italian panel in a domestic context far from its origins.

The miraculous subject requires Perugino to depict falling snow on a Roman summer day, a challenge that tests his atmospheric skills. The composition combines the architectural setting of Rome with the celestial event, requiring both architectural perspective and atmospheric rendering. His early technique is precise and detailed, showing the Florentine influence of his training period.