The Knock Shrine Tableau

The statues at the Knock Shrine in County Mayo, Ireland, stand as a masterclass in sacred sculpture by the Italian Lorenzo Ferri.

Captured in a brilliant, luminous white, the apparition group beautifully brings the silent vision of 1879 to life. While the entire composition is breathtaking, a fascinating secret lies within the material itself.

The figures of St Joseph, St John the Evangelist, and the angels were carved from premium Italian Carrara marble. However, the central statue of Our Lady of Knock was sculpted from an entirely different, historic cut. In a remarkable twist of artistic history, the marble used for Mary was the final piece of Carrara marble once owned by Michelangelo.

This direct connection to the Renaissance master gives the central figure an irreplaceable legacy, making the sculpture not just a focal point of faith, but a priceless piece of art history.