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Treasures Of The Vatican
Tribune photo by JASON BEHNKEN
David Galusha, left, and Matt David, art handlers with Evergreen Exhibitions, move "Nativity and Adoration of the Shepards."
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Published: February 10, 2008
ST. PETERSBURG - How do you guard a museum collection so priceless no one will put a value on it?
Very, very, very carefully. So carefully, no one will talk about it.
"Let's just say the people in charge know what they're doing," said Kathy Oathout, executive director of Florida International Museum, where "Vatican Splendors" opened Saturday. "Obviously the security is going to be at the highest level."
The exhibit here is the first stop in an exclusive three-city tour. The other stops will be Cleveland and St. Paul, Minn. Each city gets "Vatican Splendors" for three months.
Featuring about 200 rare objects in nine themed galleries, it is considered one of the largest collections of art, documents and historically significant objects from the Vatican ever to tour North America. Some of the artifacts haven't been outside Vatican City since their acquisition centuries ago.
How were the items selected from the Vatican's massive collection? This presentation aims to illustrate the Roman Catholic Church's impact on culture and history over 2,000 years. And it's timed to commemorate a quadrant of pivotal church history: the 500th anniversary of Michelangelo's painting of the Sistine Chapel ceiling, the establishment of the Papal Swiss Guard, the founding of the Vatican Museums and opening of St. Peter's Basilica.
It also coincides with the 40th anniversary of the Catholic Diocese of St. Petersburg, a co-sponsor of the event.
"There's such intrigue about the Vatican - it's where the church began," Oathout said. "Now we're getting a glimpse of something that is both mysterious and magnificent."
Make no mistake about it: "Vatican Splendors" isn't just for Catholics. The show, produced by Evergreen Exhibitions, combines religion, art and culture.
"It's very ecumenical," Oathout said. "I believe everyone who walks in will be touched in some way."
The collection's highlights include a reliquary containing fragments of bones of St. Peter ("the rock" upon which the church was built); the Mandylion of Edessa, a third- to fifth-century image on linen considered the oldest known representation of Jesus; personal tools and items that belonged to Michelangelo; a terracotta sculpture by Bernini; a papal tiara of Pope Pius VII made of gold, precious stones, pearls, velvet and silk; and a mosaic of a bust of an angel by 14th century master Giotto.
"Ever since Dan Brown and the wild success of 'The Da Vinci Code,' the Vatican has taken on a whole new allure," said Peter Radetsky, a content developer and writer for the exhibit. "People want to know, 'What's behind that door? What's under that robe?'"
Radetsky's research required several trips to the Vatican in Rome. Although he has been involved in some impressive exhibits - a history of space and a Russian history project - this collection probably trumped them all.
"When you're dealing with the Vatican, you're working with a separate country with 2,000 years of unbroken traditions and a unique point of view," he said. "It's a huge challenge to step into this amazing, functioning world unto its own."
And it's a world considered foreign to many. That's why Radetsky's role was to keep the graphics, text and audio tour of the exhibit as user-friendly as possible.
"Our goal was to invite people into a place they've never seen," he said. "Every piece speaks and has its own power - historically, artistically, culturally. I'm not exaggerating when I say this is an incomparable exhibit that you'll never see anywhere else."
Monsignor Roberto Zagnoli seconds that. The curator of the Vatican Museum came to St. Petersburg for nearly two weeks to coordinate the arrival and setup of "Vatican Splendors." Through an Italian interpreter, he credited the late Pope John Paul II for promoting the idea of a traveling exhibition of select rare artifacts.
"Not everyone can come to Rome to see them, so he wanted to bring Rome to them," Zagnoli said. "His vision lives on with this special collection. Some of these items have never been seen in public before."
Why did St. Petersburg get the nod to host such a once-in-a-lifetime display? Oathout said the city met the criteria set forth by Vatican and exhibition officials: enthusiastic support and financial assistance from the local diocese and a facility with a large amount of space. Bishop Robert Lynch endorsed the exhibit, and the museum had 9,000 square feet of available space.
Most facilities have permanent collections and cannot give up that much footage, Oathout said.
"But this is what we do best, since we only deal in traveling exhibits," she said.
How many visits to the museum will it take to absorb what "Vatican Splendors" has to offer?
"The idea is to make sure when people come, they will leave wanting more," he said. "This exhibit fulfills that mission."
WANT TO GO?
WHAT: A traveling exhibition of about 200 artifacts from the Holy See
WHERE: Florida International Museum, 244 Second Ave. N., St. Petersburg
WHEN: Through May 11; 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Mondays through Saturdays (last admission at 5 p.m.) and noon to 6 p.m. Sundays
HOW MUCH: $20; $17 for 65 and older; $15 military; $13 for ages 6 to 12; free for ages 5 and younger. For group rates (15 or more), call 1-877-282-8422.
INFORMATION: www.vaticansplendors.com or (727) 341-7900
Reporter Michelle Bearden can be reached at mbearden@tampatrib.com or at (813) 259-7613.
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