The Madonna with Saint Giovannino
Late 15th century · Palazzo Vecchio, Florence · Italy
WHAT IT IS
Over Mary's shoulder a grey, domed object hangs in the sky while a man below shields his eyes and his dog looks up. It is the most famous 'UFO in a painting'.
THE ALIEN READING
UFO writers describe a leaden craft with a dome or turret, witnessed by the shepherd and his dog; religious-studies scholar Jeffrey Kripal has treated it as a genuinely unexplained aerial phenomenon.
WHAT THE RECORD SAYS
Art historian Diego Cuoghi shows a radiant cloud with an angel inside: the Annunciation to the Shepherds (Luke 2), a stock detail of Nativity scenes. The same glowing cloud and startled shepherd appear in works by Foppa, Ghirlandaio and Lorenzo Monaco.
WHERE IT STANDS
Explained. Historians and archaeologists account for what it shows. The alien reading is a modern one.
STATUS IS OUR CURRENT ASSESSMENT, NOT A VERDICT · REVIEWED 3 OCT 2026
THE RECORD
- DATE
- Late 15th century
- PLACE
- Palazzo Vecchio, Florence · Italy
- MADE BY
- Attributed to Sellaio, Mainardi or Ghirlandaio
- MEDIUM
- Paintings
- TECHNICAL
- Panel painting (tondo) · Sala d'Ercole, Palazzo Vecchio · attribution disputed
