The relief of the Meeting of Leo I and Attila was commissioned by Innocent X for St Peter's in 1646. The composition of this relief is modeled on Raphael's representation of this crucial episode in the history of papacy in the Stanza Eliodoro.

Algardi in this work effectively created a larger than life-size narrative whose principal events are dramatically conveyed. With his gesture of pushing away Attila, Leo points to the miraculously airborne Saints Peter and Paul, who have come to lend divine assistance. The deep shadows, emphatic gestures, and heavy drapery patterns work together to create an arresting and convincing sense of papal power.

Preview	Picture Data	File Info	Comment
	The Meeting of Leo I and Attila 1646-53 Marble, height 750 cm Basilica di San Pietro, Vatican	870*1092 True Color 183 Kb
	The Meeting of Leo I and Attila 1646-53 Marble, height 750 cm Basilica di San Pietro, Vatican	826*1051 True Color 196 Kb
	The Meeting of Leo I and Attila (detail) 1646-53 Marble Basilica di San Pietro, Vatican	888*894 Grayscale 131 Kb
	The Meeting of Leo I and Attila (detail) 1646-53 Marble Basilica di San Pietro, Vatican	873*906 Grayscale 136 Kb
	The Meeting of Leo I and Attila (detail) 1646-53 Marble Basilica di San Pietro, Vatican	821*850 Grayscale 113 Kb
	The Meeting of Leo I and Attila (detail) 1646-53 Marble Basilica di San Pietro, Vatican	905*1003 Grayscale 142 Kb