The Visitation at the Louvre museum, Paris

myminifactory

This breathtaking 12th-century marble sculpture captures a pivotal moment in history when Mary was pregnant with Jesus and Elizabeth carried John the Baptist within her womb. The scene unfolds as Mary promptly departed Nazareth following the Annunciation, embarking on an arduous journey "into the hill country...into a city of Judah" to visit her cousin Elizabeth. Several cities are speculated to be the exact location of this encounter, with Hebron and Ein Karem being prominent contenders, situated south of Jerusalem. The grueling 100-mile trek was undertaken despite Elizabeth already being in her sixth month of pregnancy when Mary arrived. Joseph is believed to have accompanied Mary on this journey before returning to Nazareth, only to rejoin his wife three months later to escort her back home. It is also possible that the apparition of an angel, mentioned in Matthew 1:19-25, took place during this time to alleviate Joseph's doubts regarding Mary's maternity. In Catholic tradition, it is held that Mary's visit was motivated by a desire to bestow divine grace upon Elizabeth and her unborn child. Even before his birth, John the Baptist was awakened to Christ's presence and leaped with joy as he was cleansed of original sin and infused with divine grace. Similarly, Elizabeth responded and acknowledged Jesus' presence, thereby underscoring Mary's role as mediatrix between God and humanity for the very first time. This remarkable sculpture is part of "Scan The World", a groundbreaking non-profit initiative launched by MyMiniFactory to create a vast digital repository of fully 3D printable sculptures, artworks, and landmarks from across the globe. Scan The World is an open-source community project that empowers individuals to contribute their own unique items by emailing stw@myminifactory.com, thereby expanding access to these treasures for the public at large.