Papal portraits at the site date to Urban VIII in 1630
Pope Leo XIV unveiled the portrait before celebrating Mass with his Augustinian brothers at the basilica, according to the Associated Press. The fresco’s placement on an upper cornice makes the pope’s first post-election pilgrimage a permanent feature of the sanctuary, alongside the commemorations of earlier papal visitors in a tradition that began with Urban VIII’s 1630 visit.
Monday’s trip was the pope’s second to Genazzano since his May 2025 election. He first traveled to the sanctuary on May 10, 2025 — two days after becoming pope and as his first outing in the role. As Robert Prevost, he had been to the site many times before, a connection rooted in the Augustinian order’s longstanding ties to the medieval village and the sanctuary south of Rome where it sits.
The sanctuary’s basilica now displays the image of Leo XIV in prayer alongside those of popes who came before him. The tradition of marking papal visits with permanent portraits at the site has continued, according to the Associated Press, for nearly four centuries.