The President presented the Supreme Pontiff with two handcrafted pieces featuring national and religious symbols. Leo XIV, for his part, gifted Javier Milei a historic work on St. Peter's Basilica and a medal from his first year of pontificate
The gift presented by the Pope to the President also held significant historical and artistic value.
Leo XIV gifted Milei an etching originally created by Giovanni Battista Falda, which represents a panoramic view of St. Peter's Basilica and St. Peter's Square in the Vatican. The work also showcases the iconic colonnade designed by architect Gian Lorenzo Bernini.
The specimen corresponds to the second state of the plate, dated 1729 and published in Rome by Lorenzo Filippo de Rossi. The first version had been engraved by Falda and published around 1667.
The later edition incorporated modifications reflecting the beautification works carried out in the square. Among them are the paving, the restoration of the central obelisk, and the changes made to the fountains under the direction of Monsignor Lodovico Sergardi.
According to the documentation accompanying the piece, it is a period specimen, printed on laid paper, with margins and in excellent condition. Both the first version and the second are considered very rare.
In addition to the historical engraving, the Supreme Pontiff gifted the Argentine President the official commemorative medal for the first year of his papacy.
The piece was issued by the Secretariat of State of the Holy See and features on one side the papal coat of arms of Leo XIV.
The exchange of gifts between the two leaders thus brought together elements of religious tradition, the history of the Vatican, and Argentine national identity.
The gifts reflected the institutional and symbolic dimension of the meeting between Javier Milei and Leo XIV, within the framework of a visit that represents a significant event for Argentina and its ties with the Holy See.
President Javier Milei and Pope Leo XIV engaged in a significant exchange of gifts during the Pontiff's visit to Argentina, in a meeting that also left a series of symbolic gestures related to history, national identity, and the tradition of the Catholic Church.
The Argentine leader presented the Pope with two pieces specially crafted for the occasion: a commemorative medallion made of engraved silver and a holy water sprinkler made of ebony wood with silver details. For his part, Leo XIV gifted Milei a historical work representing St. Peter's Basilica and St. Peter's Square in the Vatican, along with an official medal for the first anniversary of his papacy.
The exchange was part of the protocol gestures of a visit of special institutional relevance for the country, with the President as host to the head of the Catholic Church.
One of the President's main gifts was a commemorative medallion made by an Argentine goldsmith. The piece was crafted in engraved silver and features 18-carat gold details, with the coats of arms of the Pope and the Argentine Republic.
On the obverse, it bears the papal coat of arms of Leo XIV, accompanied by the inscription: "VISIT OF HIS HOLINESS LEO 14 TO THE ARGENTINE REPUBLIC – 8 XI 2026".
On the reverse, the Argentine national coat of arms appears along with the legend "PRESIDENCY OF THE NATION".
The piece represents an institutional memento of the visit and combines elements of Argentine identity with symbols specific to the papacy.
The second gift was a holy water sprinkler made of ebony wood, with silver finishes. The object incorporates images of the cross and the Virgin, along with the inscriptions "Argentina" and "LEÓN XIV".
This is a piece of religious and artisanal character that the Argentine Government chose to accompany the meeting with the Holy Father.
