Barcelona was the setting on Tuesday afternoon when Catalan President Salvador Illa presented Pope Leo XIV with a replica of Tarragona’s Ivory Doll at the Episcopal Palace.
The replica was one of three gifts given to the pontiff. Illa also offered a copy of the Homilies d’Organyà and the original act recording the laying of the first stone of the Sagrada Família basilica.
In a letter sent with the gifts, Illa said the three items symbolise the history of Catalonia. He added that Catalonia has deep Christian roots that connect it with the soul of Europe and the world.
The Ivory Doll was selected to represent Tarragona’s long history. Illa described it as one of the most emblematic pieces of Roman archaeology in Catalonia, and said it symbolises the origins of Christianity in the region and the legacy of a city that was important in the spiritual and cultural formation of the country.
The artefact was discovered nearly a century ago and remains part of Tarragona’s historical story. Its presentation to Pope Leo XIV in Barcelona places that local heritage in a wider religious and cultural context.
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