The small work was probably painted by Vitale da Bologna, an important painter of the fourteenth century from Emilia. According to tradition, Blessed Marcolino (1317-1397) was accompanied by this sacred image in his works of charity and in his attempts to restore peace among the noble families of Forlì, fighting for control of the city.

The work is so commonly known as Madonna della Pace and, at the time of the Second World War, the people of Forlì gathered in front of it to ask for protection for their loved ones in war and for the end of the conflict. The painting became part of the Forlì Art Gallery in 2013, thanks to the important deposit granted by the Dominican Order.

Texts: Lorenza Montanari, Martina Neri - Museums Unit of the Municipality of Forlì