Odiot: Its Silver Virgin and Child at the Heart of the Pope's Visit to Paris
The Parisian silverware house Odiot announced the presence of one of its works during the apostolic visit of Pope Leo XIV to Paris.
A Silver Sculpture Created in 1826 for Notre-Dame
Odiot indicated that the Virgin and Child known as that of Charles X, a monumental silver sculpture preserved in the Treasury of Notre-Dame de Paris, accompanied the ceremonies of Pope Leo XIV's visit.
The work was created by Charles-Nicolas Odiot in 1826, during the reign of Charles X. It measures 1.56 meters in height and depicts the Virgin holding the Christ Child, facing the faithful.
Executed in repoussé silver, a technique that made the sculpture light enough to be carried in procession, it is part of the Treasury of Notre-Dame.
The Sculpture Presented at Place de la Concorde
According to the house's announcement, Pope Leo XIV arrived at Notre-Dame de Paris on September 25, 2026, becoming the first pontiff to enter the cathedral since the 2019 fire and its restoration.
Following the celebration, he joined the faithful for the Salve Regina before the silver Virgin and Child. On September 26, the work was presented on the stage at Place de la Concorde during the open-air mass celebrated by the Pope.
Odiot recalled the sculpture's history: thrown from a window and damaged during the sacking of the archbishop's palace in 1831, it narrowly escaped being melted down in 1847, then was restored in 1856 for the baptism of the Prince Imperial, son of Napoleon III and Empress Eugénie. The house continues its activity in its workshop near Paris.
