Graham Paige – Type 837

Photogallery

Graham Paige - Type 837
Graham Paige - Type 837
Carriage Pavilion

Donated to Pius XI on 10 November 1929 by the Graham brothers to mark the occasion of the Conciliation between the Church and the Italian State, the Graham Paige 837 was used by both Pius XI and Pius XII, whose crest is still present on the doors. Like the carriages, for reasons of protocol the rear passenger compartment is equipped with a seat that recalls the papal throne.
This vehicle is historically important as Pius XI used it to travel to the Basilica of St. John Lateran to celebrate the fiftieth anniversary of his priestly ordination (22 December 1929); it was the first time that a pope had left the Vatican after the fall of Rome on 20 September 1870. In December 1939, Pius XII used it to visit the Sovereigns of Italy at the Quirinal Palace.
It was also witness to the tragic bombardment of San Lorenzo (19 July 1943) when Pius XII, as Bishop of Rome, rushed to visit the afflicted Roman quarter to comfort his people.