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Vatican treasures to be on display

A collection opens at the Florida International Museum on Feb. 9.

By SHERRI DAY, Times Staff Writer
Published December 13, 2007

ADVERTISEMENT [Vatican Splendors] Mandylion of Edessa, which dates back to the third to fifth centuries, is believed to be the oldest known representation of Jesus. [Vatican Splendors] This bronze cast of Pope John Paul II's hand was created just before he died.

ST. PETERSBURG - The Florida International Museum plans to display one of the largest collections of art and historical objects from the Vatican in February, making St. Petersburg only the seventh U.S. city to host a tour of items from the seat of the Roman Catholic Church.

Museum officials began campaigning to secure the exhibit, Vatican Splendors from Saint Peter's Basilica, the Vatican Museums and Swiss Guard, in 2006, executive director Kathy Oathout said Wednesday at a news conference. They signed the final contract Tuesday.

Flanked by Mayor Rick Baker, Bishop Robert N. Lynch of the Roman Catholic Diocese of St. Petersburg and representatives of St. Petersburg College, which hosts the museum on its downtown campus, Oathout said the city was blessed to host the exhibit and to be its first U.S. stop.

Oathout declined to detail how much it cost to secure the collection, whose local sponsors include Progress Energy and SunTrust Bank. The diocese contributed $25,000, Lynch said.

"It's not an overstatement to call these things priceless because they're one of a kind," said Lynch, noting that the exhibit coincides with the diocese's 40th anniversary. "One of the most important things is one of the first artistic renderings of the face of Jesus. How do you put a price on that?"

The collection, which will be on display from Feb. 9 to May 11, features more than 200 items that span 2,000 years of church history. Some of the works include: a bronze cast of Pope John Paul II's hand, recreations of the Sistine Chapel and St. Peter's tomb, and a reliquary containing Saint Peter's bone fragments. Museum officials expect crowds of more than 100,000 people, which would rival attendance at a 2003 Vatican exhibit in Fort Lauderdale.

The new exhibit's St. Petersburg run kicks off a three-city tour for the collection, which contains many items that have never been seen outside of Italy. Other cities in negotiations for the exhibit are St. Paul, Minn., and Cleveland.

If you go

For more information about the exhibit, visit www.vaticansplendors.com. For ticket information, contact the Florida International Museum at (727) 341-7900 or www.floridamuseum.org.

[Last modified December 12, 2007, 23:52:50]