Vatican Splendors

Vatican Splendors: A Journey Through Faith and Art

Museum of Art Fort Lauderdale, January 29 through April 24

If you were to spend a thousand dollars, or likely more, on a sightseeing trip to Rome, it's probable that the Vatican would be at the top of your list of places to visit. You could spend an entire day immersing yourself in the splendors of the Vatican: the immensity and grandeur of St. Peter's Basilica, the intricacy and power of Michelangelo's painting on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel and, of course, the relics, art and history of one of Western Civilization's most mysterious and powerful institutions. Few experiences could compare, but the Vatican Splendors exhibit that recently arrived at Museum of Art Fort Lauderdale offers you the opportunity to experience Vatican culture in a way that even a pilgrimage to the Catholic Church's very own state could not. Photo: Bronze Bust of Pope John Paul II by Enrico Manfrini, copyright Citta Del Vaticano

Unique Objects, Historical Context

Vatican Splendors presents over 200 objects, many of which have never before been on public view. The touring exhibit, which will be on display at Museum of Art Fort Lauderdale through April 24, brings out into the considerably bright South Florida light Renaissance and baroque art, Papal jewels and gold and silver relics that contain bone fragments from Saint Paul and Saint Peter. The exhibit is designed to set each object in a context that makes it knowable and to demonstrate the development of the Catholic Church as well as explore its political and cultural role in the development of Western Civilization over the last 2000 years. Photo: Reliquary of Saint Peter and Saint Paul, copyright Citta del Vaticano.

Visitor information: The Museum of Art Fort Lauderdale will be open from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily and offers extended viewing hours, until 8 p.m., on Thursdays. Tickets cost $20 for adults, $17 for seniors and $13 for children. Museum members receive anytime tickets, which cost $15 for adults and $11 for children. Vatican Splendors audio tours are available for an additional fee. Click here for additional visspoitor information.