On 5 September 1993, Emperor Akihito of Japan visited the Basilica of San Marco in Florence as part of a diplomatic European tour. A squadron of press followed him as he admired the church’s renaissance paintings – the archangel Gabriel, the dramatic Visione di San Tommaso d’Aquino. Among them was Fabrizio Giovannozzi, a young Florentine photojournalist. He saw a photo opportunity and asked the Emperor to move closer to the artworks. “You could have heard a pin drop,” Giovannozzi recalls with a smile. “Everyone in the church was petrified, dumbfounded – you’re not supposed to speak to the Emperor.” But he got the shot.
1993年9月5日，日本的明仁天皇在其欧洲外交之旅中访问了位于佛罗伦萨的圣马可大教堂。一群记者跟随他，他在欣赏教堂中文艺复兴时期的绘画作品——大天使加百列，戏剧性的《圣托马斯•阿奎那的异象》。年轻的佛罗伦萨摄影记者法布里齐奥•乔万诺齐(Fabrizio Giovannozzi)发现了一个拍摄良机，便请天皇靠近这些艺术品。“教堂内静得能听到针落地的声音，”乔万诺齐带着微笑回忆道，“每个人都被震惊得目瞪口呆——按规矩，你不该直接与天皇说话。”但他还是拍到了那一幕。