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St. Pete Museum To Present 'Vatican Splendors' Exhibit

Photo courtesy of the Florida International Museum

This mosaic Fragment with an image of Saint Paul the Apostle, ca. 799, is part of the exhibit Vatican Spendors, which is coming to the Florida International Museum in February.

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By Carlos Moncada and Kevin Walker of The Tampa Tribune

Published: December 12, 2007

Updated: 12/12/2007 05:55 pm

Photo Gallery: Preview The Exhibit | Video

ST. PETERSBURG - One of the largest collections of art and artifacts from the Vatican is coming to the Tampa Bay area, offering residents and visitors a glimpse of rare religious relics, many never seen outside Rome.

"Vatican Splendors From Saint Peter's Basilica, the Vatican Museums and Swiss Guard" opens Feb. 9 and will run through May 11 at the Florida International Museum in downtown St. Petersburg.

"It's probably not going to happen again in our lifetimes," said Bishop Robert N. Lynch, of the Roman Catholic Diocese of St. Petersburg. "This exhibit already has come to Florida once, and I doubt it will again."

Lynch, St. Petersburg Mayor Rick Baker, St. Petersburg College President Carl Kuttler and others gathered at the museum today to announce the event one day after a contract was secured to host the show. The bishop was credited with facilitating the agreement to bring the exhibition to St. Petersburg, the first stop of a three-city tour.

Museum officials expect the exhibit to draw at least 100,000 spectators. Similar recent shows in other cities have attracted 75,000 to 150,000, said Kathy Oathout, the museum's executive director.

The show will feature 200 pieces of art and historical objects, many of which have never left the Vatican.

Among them: the "Mandylion of Edessa," a third to fifth century linen painting of the face of Jesus, and the papal tiara of Pope Pius VII, the symbol of the papacy. Another highlight will be a reproduction of the tomb of St. Peter.

Although the Vatican draws millions of visitors each year to view its art and history, its objects have rarely been on display, museum officials said.

"You can't put a price tag on this exhibit," Lynch said. "It's only about 1 percent of what they have in Rome, but it's amazing. For example, they have a third century drawing that they think is one of the first ever of Jesus' face. How can you put a price on that? That's truly priceless."

Fort Lauderdale hosted a similar show in 2003 that drew an estimated 150,000 spectators. A "good number" of those people were affiliated with religious denominations other than Catholic, Lynch said.

"I believe that this has great educational opportunity for people of all faiths," the bishop said.

Cyndi Putnam of Loudmouth Marketing, who is handling publicity for the event, said that when the exhibit came to Fort Lauderdale, "people lined up around the block, some of them praying. People came from all over the state."

After leaving St. Petersburg, the exhibit will go to two other U.S. cities if negotiations with the Vatican are successful. Those cities are Cleveland and St. Paul, Minn.

Tickets will go on sale Monday at $20 for adults, $17 for seniors, $15 for those in the military and $13 for children 6 to 12 years old. Children younger than 6 will be admitted free. For information, call Florida International Museum at (727) 341-7900.

Reporter Carlos Moncada can be reached at (727) 451-2333 or cmoncada@tampatrib.com. Reporter Kevin Walker can be reached at kwalker@tampatrib.com or (813) 259-7975.

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