The Madonna of Foligno

A landscape detail showing the town of Foligno with its prominent tower and houses nestled beneath a mountain range. A bright rainbow spans the sky above a falling streak of light, while shepherds and their flocks appear as small figures in the lower foreground. The scene captures an atmospheric moment of both natural wonder and divine significance.

This detail records a specific celestial event—interpreted as a meteor or lightning strike—that spared the life of the donor, Sigismondo de' Conti. It illustrates the Renaissance synthesis of natural philosophy, specifically the study of 'meteors' and atmospheric phenomena, with the belief in divine providence acting through physical portents.