Already mentioned in the 7th century, the image of the Virgin Mary known as “Prompt Succor” represents the oldest Marian devotion in St. Peter’s Basilica. Transformed into a graceful 15th-century fresco, the venerated image was moved in 1578 to the altar of the Gregorian Chapel, becoming the first image of the new St. Peter’s Basilica. Listen to Prof. Pietro Zander, Head of the Vatican Necropolis and Classical Antiquities of the Fabric of St. Peter.