Ghirelli presents: Holy Door Collection

What was the inspiration?

"The creation of the Rosary from the Holy Door collection was born from an inspiration that emerged during a meeting at the Vatican with experts in art and on the masterpieces of the Vatican especially those found in the Basilica, and they asked us to create something extremely original, a previously unreleased Rosary. We immediately thought of the Holy Door."

Who is behind the creation?

"Aware of the difficulty, however, because translating the 16 splendid panels with their bas-reliefs onto a Rosary transforming two of those panels into a centerpiece and a cross. It was truly a difficult challenge and I knew I could count on people with exceptional talent. including Michele, my son, who managed In six months of work despite countless difficulties and obstacles that seemed to paralyze the progress of the Rosary yet were always overcome."

"We managed in six months of work, to shape a Rosary and a work that in my opinion is one of the most beautiful we have ever created alongside the works of the Sistine chapel. For example - one particularly challenging detail was the cross. transforming one of the panels into a cross was quite demanding and we spent a long time carefully observing every small detail around the Holy Door - searching for inspiration. We found it - right above the Holy Door there is a small face with tiny columns, in bas-relief, truly extraordinary. That architectural detail placed on all four sides of the panels gave life to what we believe is an extraordinary artistic cross."

"What remained was, let’s say, the ‘dressing’ of the Rosary and that was Cinzia, my wife’s role she is in charge of the aesthetic part especially when it comes to the beads - tones and color nuances that too, involved careful research on colors and finishes. The final choice fell on semi-precious stones that in a certain way echo the exterior of the Basilica and bring a unique emotional resonance to the context of the Rosary."

"In the end, the result is, I believe, one of the most beautiful and most artistic that we have ever made. The combination of colors the craftsmanship, and fine details has made this Rosary a truly unique work."

Holy Door Rosary in Antique Silver

"In keeping with the spirit of the collection inspired by the Holy Door, we created another Rosary featuring truly profound details. The cross, in fact, portrays Jesus who, in the position of the crucified is in a sense supporting the Church above him, there is a perspective view of Bernini’s colonnade in St. Peter’s Square overlooked by the Basilica. So that's what a pilgrim sees when he arrives in Rome, at the Vatican."

"The meaning of the centerpiece is deeply profound, it shows the Pope truly opening the door of Mercy and granting indulgence to all of us, of course this is conditional upon genuine repentance for our sins and our way of life. In the representation, this gesture of the Pope reveals, just behind the Holy Door, the image of the Merciful Jesus it is a symbol of God’s mercy, depicted through the beautiful image associated to St. Faustina Kowalska.

This scene, as represented, is something truly beautiful for us, because it helps convey the true meaning of the Jubilee and of crossing the threshold of the Holy Door."

Beauty will save the world

"A thank you to Providence, if i had to say one thing, it would be this which has always sustained us along this journey-guiding and inspiring us and helping us overcome the many challenges we faced during the long and difficult months of work.

And enlightening, always in our work, is Dostoyevsky's phrase: ‘Beauty will save the world’ for us, in its deepest sense that beauty is God himself. 

And everything we humbly try to create, with all our human limitations must always be oriented toward that Divine Beauty.

Together with the words of Saint John Paul II in his splendid encyclical, when he explains that the Rosary is not simply a string of beads for counting Hail Marys but rather a tool for meditation. Our work, in fact, consists in this being at the service of the Rosary and of prayer offering people something more than a tool for counting prayers. But something that truly supports meditation and prayer itself."

— Alessandro Ghirelli