2o8 FLORAL SYMBOLISM 



hand, and the rose was considered the fairest 



of flowers. 



' As the rose is the flower of flowers, 

 So is Thy House the House of Houses,' 



says the ancient inscription within York Minster, 

 and the rose was the flower par excellence in every 

 European country. 



But when Mary places the rose within the 

 hand of the Infant Saviour, then it becomes 

 His attribute with the full significance of divine 

 love, and when she places a carnation between 

 the little fingers, divine love is again expressed. 



But, as already noticed, in pictures of 

 Florentine origin, the rose in the Virgin's hand 

 has a special meaning, for it illustrates her title 

 of ' Madonna del FioriJ and the Cathedral of 

 Florence was dedicated to ' Our Lady of the 

 Flower.' Also in pictures painted for some 

 charitable institution the rose or roses of the 

 Virgin have still another meaning, for then, 

 following the interpretation of Raban Maur, 

 they are the symbol of charity. One picture 

 with such roses is that painted by Giambono 

 for the Congregazione di Caritd at Fano. That 

 these roses are in no way the attribute of the 



