Acheropita Icon (Sancta Sanctorum, Rome)

'Acheropita' comes from the Greek word 'acheiropoieta,' meaning 'not made by human hands.' The term refers to images, typically of Christ, that tradition holds were created miraculously rather than painted by a human artist.

The Acheropita icon is housed in the Sancta Sanctorum chapel in Rome, located within the Scala Sancta (Holy Stairs) complex near the Basilica of St. John Lateran. The Sancta Sanctorum was the most sacred papal chapel during the medieval period and was once the personal chapel of the popes.

The Sancta Sanctorum, meaning 'Holy of Holies,' is a medieval papal chapel in Rome that once served as the private oratory of the popes before the papacy moved to Avignon and later to the Vatican. It contains numerous relics and was considered the most sacred space in papal Rome during the Middle Ages.

The Sancta Sanctorum is part of the Scala Sancta complex, which is open to visitors, though access to the chapel itself may be restricted at certain times. The icon has been studied by art historians and is considered one of the most significant early images of Christ in Rome, though its exact date of creation remains debated.

Scholars generally date the Acheropita icon to the medieval period, with some estimates placing it as early as the 6th century and others later. Tradition holds it was started by St. Luke and finished by angels, but art historians view it as a significant example of early Christian iconography in Rome regardless of the legends surrounding its origin.