Angels Unawares, Bronze memorial in Saint Peter's Square, Vatican City

Angels Unawares is a six-metre-long bronze sculpture of about 140 migrants and refugees standing tightly on a boat. The dark brown boat has a textured, rounded base with a raised lip. On the left, a man in a brimmed hat and long coat holds a suitcase beside a woman in a long dress; a child grips a vertical pole. Other figures hold bundles or wear cloaks and head coverings.

The idea came from Cardinal Michael Czerny, who commissioned Timothy Schmalz in 2016; the sculpture was funded by the Rudolph P. Bratty family. Pope Francis inaugurated it on September 29, 2019, the 105th World Day of Migrants and Refugees, with four refugees taking part. It was the first new sculpture in St. Peter's Square since Bernini, 400 years earlier.

The title comes from Hebrews 13:2, about entertaining angels unawares. Among the 140 figures are a Jew fleeing Nazi Germany, a Syrian escaping the civil war and a Pole leaving the communist regime. The sculptor said he wanted to show the different moods and emotions of a migrant's journey.

The sculpture can be observed from multiple angles as you walk through Saint Peter's Square. Since it sits on open ground, it is accessible daily and can be visited in any season.

The boat carries 140 figures, among them a Jew fleeing Nazi Germany, a Syrian escaping the civil war and a Pole leaving the communist regime. The sculptor said he wanted to show the different moods and emotions of a migrant's journey. Angel wings rise from the crowd, drawn from Hebrews 13:2 on entertaining angels unawares.