Madonna of St Alexius or Madonna of Edessa

Icon of the Virgin Mary of Byzantine origin, currently preserved in the Basilica of St Boniface and St Alexius in Rome. Legend has it that Alexius, from a wealthy Roman family, spent 17 years as a beggar in Edessa, Greece, and prayed often before the miraculous image in the church. Before servants sent by his family to the city to find Alexius, the image rang out, revealing the saint's identity and addressing him as 'Man of God'.