Holy See — Heraldic design for Vatican
The Holy See (Stolica Apostolska) — the governing body of the Catholic Church, which decided to establish in Rome a Church for the Polish diaspora, directed in its activities toward Poles around the world. The patron of the institution became St. Stanislaus, due to his exceptional role in the tradition of the Polish Church.
Designs presented by previous agencies did not receive approval, both due to the symbolic program presented and the lack of compliance with the rules of heraldry. A mark with traditional, expressive, and Polish symbolism was needed — one that would be readable for all Poles while incorporating elements identifying the Patron and complying with ecclesiastical heraldic rules.
We conducted thorough analysis of St. Stanislaus’s figure and visual attributes, the White Eagle emblem, and Roman Catholic Church heraldry in the context of the Holy See. Based on this research, we developed a symbolic and visual program and designed a heraldic mark consistent with ecclesiastical heraldic art principles. The White Eagle was designed based on iconographic sources from St. Stanislaus’s era, with the Patron symbolized by a heart shield bearing his family coat of arms and episcopal attributes from his sarcophagus in Wawel Cathedral. The project gained full recognition for its successful combination of Polish and ecclesiastical symbolism and expert knowledge of heraldic principles.
