Botticelli’s Adoration of the Magi (c 1478-82) depicts the wise men’s visit to the infant Christ in a classical temple ruin rather than a humble stable, emphasizing Christianity’s emergence from paganism. Likely painted in Rome during his Sistine Chapel commission, it stresses religious devotion over pageantry. Each figure embodies piety through contemplative postures and gestures, expressing reverence for the divine mystery before them. The Magi were especially venerated in Florence, where elaborate street pageants reenacting their journey occurred every five years. Botticelli’s linear, decorative style creates an intimate spiritual meditation on the Nativity scene.