Inspiration for even the great Nostradamus: 30 impressively illustrated prophecies about the fate of the popes
Vaticinia Pontificum of Benozzo Gozzoli
Florence (Italy) — 1431 – ca. 1447

Vaticinia Pontificum of Benozzo Gozzoli
Florence (Italy) — 1431 – ca. 1447
This enthralling codex is, in many ways, the perfect work, and not just for the quality of the illustrations
30 prophecies regarding the destiny of the papacy and the church by the Italian mystic Gioacchino da Fiore (ca. 1135–1202)
The mysteries and keys cleverly hidden within the pages inspired the prophecies of Nostradamus (1503–1566)

Vaticinia Pontificum of Benozzo Gozzoli
Pope Benedict XI
Although only reigning for less than a year, Benedict XI was significant for being the last pontiff before the Avignon Papacy, named by contemporaries as the Babylonian Captivity in a reference to the destruction of the First Temple and subsequent enslavement of the Israelites. Originally a Dominican monk, he was venerated for his holiness by the faithful, miracles have been reported at his tomb, and he was beatified in 1736. It was rumored in his day that he was poisoned.
Vaticinia Pontificum of Benozzo Gozzoli
- Vaticinia de Pontificibus
Short Description
Created by Benozzo Gozzoli, the Vaticinia Pontificum is considered to be a nearly-perfect work of Italian manuscript art. The miniatures of the text, which still exhibit some lingering Gothic influence, are second to none for their refinement and use of perspective. The content is also noteworthy: thirty prophecies related to the destiny of the papacy and the Church attributed to the Italian mystic Gioacchino da Fiore. What is more, the work served as inspiration for Nostradamus' Lost Book of the Prophecies, making it the most significant prophetic manuscript to survive today. Benozzo Gozzoli, one of the most famous and sought-after painters of the Tuscan Quattrocento, masterfully presented Fiore’s prophecies in a uniquely artful and polished series of miniatures.
Vaticinia Pontificum of Benozzo Gozzoli
Benozzo Gozzoli’s Vaticinia Pontificum is an enthralling codex, in many ways the perfect work, not only by its beauty and notable quality of the illustrations, but also for the mysteries and hidden keys within its pages and images. Vaticinia Pontificum is considered to be the father and iconographic origin of Nostradamus’ work and his worldwide famous manuscript, made in 1629, almost two hundred years after the Vaticinia Pontificum, also known as the Lost Book of Nostradamus. It's the most famous manuscript of prophecy and contains a series of thirty prophecies related to the destiny of the papacy and the Church attributed to the Italian mystic Gioacchino da Fiore. The work contains symbolic connections with past historic events of the Vatican that have already been verified, as well as events of the modern church, and could even unveil the keys of the future of humanity.
The Keys of Humanity’s Future
The similarity of the Vaticinia Pontificum, particularly when one compares the images, with the Lost Book of the Prophecies by Nostradamus, makes it clear that Nostradamus’ work is a copy based on the British Library’s “Harley 1340.” The ten last predictions express the confidence in the arrival of a near “angelical pope” or a series of angelical popes, meaning, a saintly and purifying pope, a charismatic figure that differs himself from the rest of his predecessors by his moral integrity and high spirituality, and also that he opens a profound phase of reform within the Church. This could be related to the figure of Saint John Paul II, and even the present Pope Francis I. The miniature referring to this prophecy corresponds to the folio 13v: the naked pope. It represents a spectacular praising of the humble spirit embodied by an angelical pope that has been stripped of all of his possessions and the temporal power, with the conviction that the papacy could only be renewed through poverty and the dispossession of mundane belongings.
Benozzo Gozzoli – Genius of Universal Painting – Illustrated this Mysterious Manuscript
Illuminated by Benozzo Gozzoli, genius of the universal style of painting and author of the Journey of the Magi, who made majestic frescos at the behest of Piero di Cosimo that present Lorenzo the Magnificent riding a horse as one of the Magi, which is kept in the Magi Chapel in the Medici Palace, Florence. Benozzo Gozzoli was one of the most famous and sought-after painters of the Tuscan Quattrocento and thanks to his longevity, around one hundred pictorial works can be attributed to him. Even though he was prolific with panel painting, many reredos, polyptychs, and altars from his studio survive today; Gozzoli stood above all in his talent for mural painting with frescos. In his works, with some lingering Gothic influences, the influence of his master Fra Angelico can be seen clearly, especially in the brightness and intensity of the color use, or the softness in the treatment of the faces. Nowadays, his works are in the most important museums in the world: the Louvre Museum, The National Gallery, The Metropolitan Museum of New York, and the Vatican, amongst others.
Codicology
- Alternative Titles
- Vaticinia de Pontificibus
- Size / Format
- 44 pages / 28.5 × 19.5 cm
- Origin
- Florence (Italy)
- Date
- 1431 – ca. 1447
- Epochs
- Style
- Genre
- Language
- Script
- Gothic Textualis
- Illustrations
- 30 three-quarter page miniatures in colours and gold, with captions and full borders, and 30 initials in colours and gold with foliate extensions
- Content
- A series of thirty prophecies related to the destiny of the papacy and the Church attributed to the Italian mystic Gioacchino da Fiore
- Artist / School
- Joachim of Fiore
Master of San Miniato
Benozzo Gozzoli

Vaticinia Pontificum of Benozzo Gozzoli
Pope Urban VI
After finally returning to Rome from Avignon, the Catholic Church almost immediately became torn by the Western Schism. Urban VI was too austere and stern for the luxury-loving cardinals, who soon elected an antipope – Clement VII. This manuscript reflects the animosity felt by the Florentines toward Urban VI, to whom they already had been forced to pay restitution after the costly War of the Eight Saints.
This grotesque hybrid creature of a dragon with feathered wings and a man’s head is meant to embody the disastrous papacy of Urban VI. Various symbols are used by the artist to illustrated Urban’s wickedness: a forked beard, the elongated eyes of a donkey, a snake, a scorpion, and a dagger stuck in the ground. It is a gorgeous miniature nonetheless.
1 available facsimile edition(s) of „Vaticinia Pontificum of Benozzo Gozzoli“
Vaticinia Pontificum de Benozzo Gozzoli
- Publisher
- Patrimonio Ediciones – Valencia, 2016
- Limited Edition
- 500 copies
- Commentary
-
1 volume
Language: Spanish (printed), English (PDF) - More Information
- Reproduction of the entire original document as detailed as possible (scope, format, colors). The binding may not correspond to the original or current document binding.
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