Germanisches Nationalmuseum Acquires 18th-Century Papal Gift Silver Relief

The Germanisches Nationalmuseum in Nuremberg has acquired a devotional image known as the 'Piusaltar,' a silver relief depicting the Pietà. Created in 1786, the work was a gift from Pope Pius VI to Maria Anna von Pfalz-Zweibrücken, a future Bavarian duchess. The piece is attributed to the Roman goldsmith Luigi Valadier and is considered his final creation. The acquisition was supported by the Kulturstiftung der Länder with €700,000. The relief will be displayed in a special presentation from March 3 to May 3, 2026, before joining the permanent collection. Additional funding came from the Ernst von Siemens Kunststiftung and the Rudolf-August Oetker-Stiftung.