This column, decorated with a depiction of the Virgin Mary, is dedicated to the "Madonna Immacolata." The term "Immaculate Conception," which today may sound somewhat theoretical and difficult to understand, means that from the very beginning, the Mother of God was freed by the grace of God from the burden of original sin – which every other human being has carried within them since the fall of Adam and Eve. This meant that when the archangel later announced to her in Nazareth that she would give birth to the Son of God, she was willing to freely answer "YES." In 1854, Pope Pius IX elevated this article of faith to dogma. The Feast of the "Madonna Immacolata" is celebrated annually on December 8th. In Rome, it is customary for the Holy Father to pray on this day at the Marian column dedicated to her – in the square below the Spanish Steps.