2022 EXHIBITIONS

In the Capital the Library participated in two exhibitions of high cultural and scientific value with the loan of significant works. The Accademia dei Lincei organized The Reception of the Divine Comedy from Manuscripts to Media in the Corsiniana Library. The exhibition, accompanied by an important international conference, documented and illustrated the Divine Comedy’s spread and influence, both in terms of its material transmission and its cultural reception. The first section was dedicated to manuscript dissemination, the second to its relationship with the Italian canon, and the third to the Comedy in history, beginning with printed works, enriched with manuscript comments, to its reception and dissemination in the media. The Vatican Library loaned Chig.L.VI.213, Urb.lat.366, and Urb.lat.678.

The second important event, Medieval Rome: The Lost Face of the City, was organized by the Sovrintendenza Capitolina at Palazzo Braschi. This exhibition aimed to rediscover and make known the obscured face of Rome as the hub of Christian Europe and the Mediterranean between the 6th and 14th centuries. The objective of the exhibition was to illustrate the medieval city and the seat of the Vicar of Christ: from the first Christian memories to its most eminent places, to the environmental context, now completely distorted, visually characterized by the winding of the Tiber River, with its ports, places of urban life, and productive activity. On this occasion, the Vatican Library, given the high scientific and educational value of the exhibition, loaned numerous works, including original manuscripts, facsimiles, and numismatic material, such as S.Maria.Maggiore.25, Vat.lat.4933, Arch.Cap.S.Pietro.C.129, Ott.lat.356, and Arch.Cap.S.Pietro.B.77.

Among the numerous celebrations dedicated to Federico da Montefeltro, the exhibition in Gubbio, Federico da Montefeltro e Gubbio. "Lì é tucto el core nostro et tucta l'anima nostra", organized in three different venues (Palazzo Ducale, Palazzo dei Consoli, and Museo Diocesano) was particularly significant. The Vatican Library could not miss such a prestigious and scientifically important event and, on this occasion, loaned some of the most valuable works from the Urbinate collection.
The exhibition, promoted by the Municipality of Gubbio, the Civic Museum, and the Museum of Palazzo Ducale, chose as its guiding theme to place Federico in his varied relationships with the smaller centers of the territory, Gubbio in particular, taking inspiration from his (presumed) birth there in 1422. In its three venues, the show explicitly outlines a path to contextualize the various aspects of Federico da Montefeltro's personality: man of arms and culture, Federico and Faith, Federico and Gubbio.

The Vatican Apostolic Library, with the loan of Chig.C.VII.205 (Breviary of Ferdinand the Catholic), participated in the exhibition, The Discovery of the Renaissance. Spanish Artists in Naples in the Early 16th Century , held at the Prado Museum in Madrid. The aim was to illustrate a productive but little-known moment in European Renaissance culture: the brief period between 1504 and 1535, during which there was a transition in Spain and southern Italy to what Vasari called "the modern manner", namely, art based on the revolution of Michelangelo, Leonardo, and Raphael.

The exhibition project, The Normans. A Story of Mobility, Conquest, and Innovation , organized in Mannheim by the Reiss-Engelhorn-Museen, was entirely dedicated to the fascinating theme of the Normans. For the first time, their rise to power, the history of their migrations, and their integration among those with whom they came into contact was addressed. "The Men of the North" (the Normans) transformed and influenced the face of Europe in a lasting way, and the exhibition highlighted how their history unites Northern Europe with Italy and the entire Mediterranean area, as well as Western Europe with Eastern Europe up to the Black Sea. The works lent by the Library (Facs.Pal.lat.1071, Urb.gr.2, Vat.gr.1176, Facs.Vat.lat.1202, Vat.lat.36, and Vat.lat.3973) are of great value and central to the entire exhibition project.

Of particular importance was the exhibition, Baghdad: Eye's Delight, organized by the Museum of Islamic Art in Doha. This event aimed to celebrate the city of Baghdad, its long history, and its great significance not only within the Arab world but in a global perspective, highlighting its resilience in spite of destructions, wars, and violence that have occurred over the centuries and still affect its population today. Through artifacts from the Abbasid era, contemporary works of art, and handwritten testimonies, the intention was to give voice to the many souls of the city, composed of diverse ethnicities and religious confessions that have coexisted for centuries. It was the first worldwide exhibition dedicated to the city of Baghdad, to which the Library participated by lending two highly valuable works, Vat.ar.374 (Ibn Jazla, Kitab Minhaj al-bayan) and Chig.E.VIII.251.

2020

During the last year, many celebrations occurred in Italy and beyond to celebrate the genius of Raphael on the occasion of the five-hundredth anniversary of his death. Of those, the most important for us was the exhibition Raffaello that was held at the Scuderie del Quirinale. This show traced the development of Raphael’s approach to Antiquity as it changed in the course of his life. It highlighted the role of Perugino on his proto-classical style, the inspiration of Pinturicchio on his revival of decoration, and the influence of Leonardo and Michelangelo to arrive at the synthesis that Raphael affected between the ancient and the modern, which is in many respects his most lasting legacy. The Library participated in this significant event and lent four works (Barb.lat.4424, Chig.M.VII.149, Vat.lat.10228, R.I.III.298), confirming our fruitful collaboration with this important institution.

The Money Museum in Lisbon with the scientific collaboration of the Vatican Medagliere organized the exhibition Money, Faith and Politics: Coins and Medals from the Vatican in Lisbon. This show was arranged in four sections: Money and the World of the Gospel, History of Papal Coinage, Portugal and the Holy See, Foundational Ceremonies. The Vatican Library lent a considerable number of coins and medals, including the famous denarii of Pope Adrian I (772-795), which bear, for the very first time, the image and name of the pope and not that of the Eastern Roman Emperor, an important sign of the ascendency of the papacy, as well as the monetary masterpieces of the Hamerani family, which display historical events that show the close relationship between the papacy and Portugal. By far, the most impressive piece of the exhibit was the gold coin worth two and a half papal ducats issued by Pope Leo X (1513-1521). This coin depicts on the reverse the three wise men and was minted in 1514 to celebrate the Portuguese ambassadors who brought a remarkable gift from King Manuel I to honor the pope: the elephant Hanno.

The Fondazione Cassa dei Risparmi of Forlì, in collaboration with the Comune of Forlì, organized the very moving, but also of considerable scientific value, exhibition, Ulisse. L’Arte e il Mito, dedicated to the mythic hero. This show sought to reconstruct the iconographic fortunes of the famous figure over the centuries. Odysseus is the hero of human experience, endurance, intelligence, speech, survival, self-awareness, and the social values of one’s time. This great exposition, held at the San Domenico Museums, examined the relationship between art and myth by means of this paradigmatic character. The central question was to show how the mythical tale was transformed into a figurative image and how this transposition influences and redefines our understanding of the myth. On this occasion, the Vatican Library lent Vat.lat.4776 (the Divine Comedy, Mariotto di Nardo), Reg.lat.1500, and the facsimile of Urb.lat.365 (the Urbinate Dante).

The Museum of Fine Arts Ghent (MSK Gent) held an exposition dedicated to Jan van Eyck, one of the most famous Flemish painters. The exposition proved a great success among the public and critics alike, bringing together most of the master’s work, many of which are kept in the most important museums in the world. This provided visitors with an opportunity to appreciate the artist’s beauty and expressive force in a single visit. Copies of lost works were also included in addition to works from van Eyck’s studio. For the occasion, the Vatican Library lent Vat.lat.13650 (Bartolomeo Facio, De viris illustribus, 1457) and the printed book Cicognara.V,2391 (Giorgio Vasari, Le vite de più eccellenti pittori, scultori..., 1568).

2018-2019

This year the Museum of the Bible in Washington, in continuing the collaboration with the Vatican Library since the exhibition on the Bible in 2018, gave space to the artistic work of master Parisi, a talented young Roman artist. The exhibition was entirely dedicated to the works he made on the occasion of the reopening of the Salone Sistino to scholars. In total, 26 prints and 29 matrices were lent, reproducing the inventors of the letters which were inspired, in Parisi’s reinterpretation, by the characters represented on the pillars of the Salone Sistino.
The Government of the People's Republic of China invited the Holy See to participate with its own pavilion at the Horticulture Expo, held in Beijing from April to October 2019. The main theme of the Expo was Live green. Live better. The Holy See Pavilion developed its own exhibition space around the sub-theme Home of Hearts, with the aim of promoting the messages expressed by the Holy Father in the Encyclical Letter of Laudato si. The Vatican Library participated in this significant event, with facsimiles of two works, Chig.F.VII.158 and Chig.F.VII.15, later donated to the organizing Institution.
The Vatican Library, as evidence of the deep professional bond between the two Institutions, participated, with the loan of Ross.498, in the exhibition organized by the Israel Museum in Jerusalem entitled Maimonides: a legacy in script. The scientific project had as its primary purpose that of bringing together and exhibiting, on a unique occasion, a complete presentation of the most precious medieval Maimonides illuminated manuscripts.
In the Capitoline Museums, in the Palazzo dei Conservatori, the exhibition entitled I Papi dei Concili nell’Era Moderna. Arte, Storia, Religiosità e Cultura [The Popes of the Councils in the Modern Age. Art, History, Religiousness and Culture] was held in collaboration with the European Center for Tourism Art and Entertainment. The participation of the Vatican in this event was of great value: the history of the Library is marked by the figures of popes who have supported and enhanced it, but also by the epochal passages that coincided with the celebrations of the Councils; it is possible to retrace its institutional parable also bearing in mind the events of the Councils, both for the contribution it has made to these central moments in the life of the Church, and for what the decisions elaborated by the assemblies of bishops have entailed for the path of the book collection and its cultural choices. The Library participated in this exhibition, lending the facsimile of the Vatican Council II Bull of Induction.
The deep historical-cultural link with the Vatican Museums continues, as evidenced also by the Library's participation with the loan of works belonging to its collections. At the conclusion of the many initiatives aimed at celebrating the figure of Johann Joachim Winckelmann, on the occasion of the centenary celebrations commemorating his birth, 1717, and his death, 1768, the Vatican Museums decided to commemorate the figure of this great Prussian with an exhibition highlighting the pivotal role that the Vatican collections have played in the studies, theories and writings of the famous archaeologist. A "diffused" exhibition was organized, which unfolded through collections of antiquities - Egyptian, Etruscan, Greek and Roman - including those universal works of Renaissance and Baroque art, which were also the inspiration for the construction of the aesthetic theories of Winckelmann, still considered the father of modern archaeology and the founder of history of art understood as a science. The Library participated in the exhibition with the loan of four works and some of his most important writings, all of which help to better understand the atmosphere and cultural climate that characterized the city of Rome around the mid-eighteenth century.
The Scuderie del Quirinale organized two important exhibitions in 2019, one dedicated to Ovid and the other to Leonardo. The Vatican Library participated in both with the loan of significant codices, thereby confirming the climate of collaboration with this important institution. In particular, the project for Leonardo's exhibition formed part of a program of initiatives aimed at celebrating the 500th anniversary of the death of the scientist. Leonardo's fundamental legacy is examined in a perspective that links his work as an engineer and humanist with the history of science, art and technology. In this context, the works lent by the Vatican Library, such as the Sangallo, Barb.lat.4424 and Francesco di Giorgio, Urb.lat.1757 projects , as well as the ideal plan of Milan, Urb.lat.277, were of great importance.

2017-2018

The “I Papi e l’unità del mondolatino. Antichità, Medioevo, Rinascimento” exhibition was held in Mannheim, at the Reiss–Engelhorn Museum.
An extensive exhibition designed to retrace the stages in the history of the papacy, from its origins to the Renaissance, highlighting its political and cultural role. The Vatican Library lent numerous works including coins, medals and manuscripts.

In March 2017, the Diocesan Museum of Paderborn organized an exhibition dedicated to Rome entitled “Le meraviglie di Roma. Lo sguardo d’Oltralpe sulle collezioni vaticane di antichità”, a city which for centuries has been a pole of earthly and spiritual history, a destination for pilgrims, scholars, philosophers, writers and artists. The exhibition described the "wonders" of Rome based on the papal collections, starting with the Lateran collection and then passing on to the Vatican collections for the centuries after the Avignon exile. Three manuscripts kept in the Vatican Apostolic Library were exhibited.

In this atmosphere of cooperation with the Vatican institutions, the Library participated in the two exhibitions organized by the Vatican Museums, in March and May 2017, “La Menorah: culto, storia e mito” and “DilectissimofratriCaesarioSymmachus. Tra Arles e Roma: le reliquie di San Cesareo, tesoro della Gallia”. The former, resulting from a work of collaboration with the Jewish Museum of Rome, was designed to tell the history, both real and symbolic, of Menorah by means of a rich articulated route, dotted with important works of art, ranging from archeology to the 21st century, from sculpture to painting, from architectural furnishings to applied arts, and from manuscripts to illustrated books. In this way, sanctioning an initiative with a high institutional profile, both political and symbolic, on the path of unity, mutual understanding, and dialogue. Instead, the latter was conceived to recall the intense dialogue and close relations between the Provencal city and Rome since the early Christian period. St. Caesarean, Bishop of Arles (502-542) is a significant representative of this bond, as too istherole maintained by the Churchat the time of the collapse of the Western Roman Empire. The Vatican Apostolic Library lent a Carolingian code passing on the text of a letter from Pope Symmachus, who, in 513, granted the pallium to Cesarius. The opening words of this were included in the title to the exhibition since the objective was to reflect on the image of a saint andan era full of symbols, valuesand spiritual dynamism.

In November 2017, the Bible Museum was inaugurated in Washington. Eight floors dedicated to the most influential book in the history of mankind. The aim was to invite people to interact with the same, through a non-party based approach, that welcomes all the traditions or schools of thought, to underline the impact the Bible has had on America and humanity in general. The Library actively contributed to the realization of this large and complex project, collaborating in both the development of the concept, and participating in the permanent exhibition, Vatican Treasures, dedicated to the Vatican’s masterpieces. Some facsimiles specimens belonging to the Vatican Apostolic Library are on display, and a precious original, the Holy Bible of Santa Cecilia, from the 11th century (Barb.lat.587) has been temporarily exhibited. Furthermore, a temporary exhibition was heldduring the inauguration, “The Boundless Vanity of All. Ecclesiastes - Images and Ideas” , where six Piranesi prints were displayed portraying splendid views of Rome.

Of great significance, the exhibition “Vaticano: de San Pedro a Francisco. Dosmilaños de arte e historia” . This was organized to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the resumption of diplomatic relations between the Holy See and Mexico. 160 works were exhibited from various Vatican institutions such as: the Vatican Museums, the Fabric of St Peter’s, the Vatican Apostolic Library and the Papal Sacristy.
The two-thousand-year old history of the Catholic Church was retraced along a path winding its way from the section “I fondamenti della Chiesa: il sangue dei martiri” to the present day; retracing the origins and traditions of the Church of Rome through artistic creations that bear witness to devotion and faith, a 2000 year journey through history. A precious opportunity to highlight and witness, through art and culture, an ongoing dialogue and the strong cultural link existing between the Vatican City and Mexico.

Another important exhibition was the one entitled “I disegni di Francesco Borromini nella Biblioteca Apostolica Vaticana”, included as part of the celebrations for the 350th anniversary of Francesco Borromini’s death. The occasion was marked by the exhibition of a precious selection of drawings held by the Vatican Library, whose collections number important graphic and documentary testimonials of this artist.

2016

The exhibition I libri che hanno fatto l’Europa. Manoscritti latini e romanzi da Carlo Magno all’invenzione della stampa is of note. The exhibition heldat Palazzo Corsini in the prestigiousheadquarters of the Accademia Nazionale dei Lincei illustrated the historical-cultural path leading from classical-Christian Medieval Latin culture to modern Romance literature and culture, and finally toWestern European culture. Alongside Latin manuscripts and romances, Greek, Arab and Hebrew manuscripts were also exhibited to illustrate the great traditions that have contributed to shaping European culture. Four works were provided by the BAV: Chig.L.VIII.305; Reg.lat.1725; Urb.lat.539; Vat.lat.5232.

Also worthy of mention is The Promise of the Vatican Library: an exhibition, held at the University of Notre Dame in South Bend (USA). The event, taking place in an atmosphere of serenity, respect and openness, provided a valuable opportunity to deepen and intensify the dialogue between these two important institutions, laying solid premises for future collaboration. While respecting its primary role, that is, the conservation of its vast heritage, the Library, which on this occasion lent twelve works, has always been ready to promote intercultural exchange and scientific meetings in order to give people from all over the world and of different ethnic groups, the possibility of knowing and appreciating works that have been preserved for centuries.

In this atmosphere of openness, the Library also took part in the Hebrew Manuscripts of the Vatican Library exhibition, held atthe Jewish Museum of Amsterdam. At this event, organized to celebrate the 400th anniversary of its foundation, a number of Hebrew manuscripts from various institutions were exhibited: Switzerland, the United States, Holland, Spain and Germany. The Library took part inthis important cultural event with the loan of five Hebrew manuscripts from its collection (Vat.ebr.414; Vat.ebr.438; Ross.554; Ross.555; Vat.lat.12838).

The Library alsoparticipatedatanotherimportantexhibition in Venice, Manuzio, le arti, il libro. Il Rinascimento di Venezia. This exhibition dedicated to Aldo Manuzio, fivehundredyears after his death, was a tribute to the most famous printer in the history of publishing who, with the publication of the "pocket classics", invented the modern book and made the great classics of Greek culture, and the Latin, Hebrew and Italian texts of the new vernacular literatureavailable to the scholars and writers of his time. The Vatican Library contributed to this important project by loaning five works from its collection (Vat.lat.4104; Vat.lat.4105; Reg.lat.1732; Stamp.Barb.AAA IV 13; RIIV.1734 , int.7).

2015

An exhibition of note is Il Laboratorio del Genio: Bernini e il Barocco a Rome, held in Leipzig. The exhibition presented a reinterpretation of Bernini's works through his drawings; as if by entering the master's studio, it were possible to observe the great projects of the Roman Baroque taking form on his work table. The Vatican Basilica was at the center of this exhibition. A unique space of religious, historical and artistic significance in which the genius of Bernini, who worked for six different Popes, transformed into the most innovative workshop of the Baroque. The Vatican Apostolic Library, which holds an extremely important group of the artist's drawings in its Barberiniani and Chigiani collections, lent ten works for this exhibition.

As in 2002, The Toppan Printing Companyorganized an exhibition at the Tokyo Press Museum of manuscripts and incunabula held by the Vatican Library entitled Books, the Doors to the Renaissance. This exhibition, inaugurated on 25 April 2015, provided a further occasion to open the Library doors to the vast Japanese public.Among the 21 works on loan, the famous letter written by the first Japanese embassy dated 1585 was put on display. Also, just to mention one of the works included among the incunabula , was the first Italian translation of the Bible, published and printed by the monk Niccolò Malermi, and which for about two centuries was the only Italian translation authorized by the Catholic Church. In Jerusalem,the Together Again: A RenaissanceMishneh Torah from the Vatican Library and the Israel Museum exhibition was held at the Israel Museum. The Library participated at this event with the loan of the Ross.498. On this occasion, the two halves of an ancient illustrated Hebrewcodex, the Misheneh Torah of Maimonides were reunited. The manuscript, dated 1457, is one of the most authoritative Hebrew legal codes since it is the only medieval work that illustrates the entire complex of Jewish laws. A cultural exchange of profound value that made it possible, by bringing together the two manuscripts, presumably parts of the same code, to highlight the rarity of the text, the extraordinary beauty of the miniatures, and allow the joint study of the volume. The exhibition was widely reviewed and recognized by the Vatican and Jewish authorities as an important sign of fraternity and cultural dialogue.

The City of Milan, during the Expo 2015, promoted a rich program of particularly significant initiatives, in which culture played a strategic role. In this context the Library participated in twoexhibitions: D’Après Michelangelo. La fortuna dei disegni di Tommaso Cavalieri nella grafica, nella pittura e nelle arte applicate, and the Arte Lombarda dai Visconti agli Sforza exhibition, at the Palazzo Reale. The former exhibition was to commemorate Michelangelo, whose work La Pietà di Rondanini, isclaimed to be one of the icons that best represent the city of Milan; whereas the latter set out to show the splendor of the Visconti and the Sforza courts, being responsible, from the middle of the fourteenth century until the fifteenth century, for transforming the city into a real driving force for artistic and literary production. For the occasion, the library authorized the loan of the work O.A.34 (Pietà, by Michelangelo).

2014

Worth mentioning is the exhibition, L’arte di Carlo Magno, held in Aachen. To celebrate and commemorate the great emperor, the German city and capital of his kingdom organized three major related exhibitions, in the ancient Palazzo Municipale and in the Carlo Magno center. This was the first time the back plate of the Pal.lat.50 has been exhibited, together with the front plate currently held at the Victoria and Albert Museum in London. Many journalists attended the event and a special edition of the ZDF news program was broadcast to show the unpacking and mounting of the two works. The manuscript and the plate were given by Massimiliano I, duke of the Palatinate, to Pope Gregorio XV in 1623.

Of great importance, the Verbum Domini II. La Parola del Signore è diretta alle Nazioni exhibitionheld in the Braccio di Carlo Magno, and organized by the Vatican Museum. This exhibition, through 200 rare, historical and important findings, sought to tell the story of the journey that the Bible has made around the world. Jews and Christians have committed themselves over the centuries to preserving the scriptures, sharing their messages with people of different cultures, while remaining faithful to the original text in Greek and Hebrew. Over the last 2,000 years, this transmission and translation of the Bible has shaped and redesigned the history of the world and in this exhibition the journey was retraced in time and space, to discover how the Word of God has reached nations. The Vatican Library loaned eight works for this important event, including the Pap.Hanna.1 (Mater Verbi) and a bifoglio of the Code B, which, given their preciousness, rarity and uniqueness are not normally displayed.

Il Concilio di Costanza . Evento Mondiale 1414-1418 exhibition, held in Costanza to commemorate this important historical event of six hundred years ago, is also worthy of mention.After the appeal of King Sigismondo, whosought to restore the universalchurch’sunity, Costanzawas, for four years, the platform for cultural dialogue and intense intellectual change; many kings, variousprinces, both secular and ecclesiastical, all the top European aristocracy, and the leading representatives of religious orders and universities, gathered in the city. This exhibition, with the presentation of about 600 works from the most renowned museums in Europe, was held to commemorate this event. The Vatican Library also participated with the loan of three works: Vat.lat.1335; Vat.lat.3817; Vat.lat.11458.

2013

The exhibition held in Stockholm, to celebrate Queen Christina of Sweden, was of considerable interest. This exhibition, dedicated to one of the most complex and interesting figures in Swedish history, opened on the anniversary of her death in Rome on April 19, 1689. Knowledge of Queen Christina has been made availableto the public through a number ofworks in various styles : from portraits of the period to contemporary art, and from sound installations to ancient manuscripts belonging to the Reginense latino collectionheld at the Vatican Library. Among the manuscripts on display was Vat.gr.1522, a sumptuous lectionary of 10th century Gospels, containing readings chosen for the main festivals of the year, full of splendid miniatures, whose restoration was entirely financed by the King of Sweden . Furthermore, given the willingness and commitment of the Marcus and Amalia Wallenberg Foundation in Stockholm, 170 manuscripts and 96 printed volumes of the Reginense latinocollectionwere restored between 2008 and 2010. Some of the restored manuscripts could be seen in the Royal Armory, whilst a small group was exhibited in Stockholm cathedral.

The Il dominio dei Wittelsbach sul Reno exhibition in Mannheim was very important. Following the success of the exhibition on the Swabians, held in 2011, the Reiss Museum wished to revive the idea of a historical-cultural exhibition, having as its theme one of the most illustrious families in the history of Germany. With this exhibition, the museum wished to celebrate an anniversary of great historical importance. In 1214, the Emperor Frederick II decided to transfer the office of Conte Palatino, which until then had been in the hands of the Guelphs, to Duke Ludwig I and his son Ottone II of the Wittelsbachdynasty; a family which had governed the Palatinate uninterruptedly for 600 years . The family moved to Mannheim in 1720, and from then onwards the city became the center of the Palatinate, experiencing an era of great splendor. The Vatican Library lent nine manuscripts for the occasion.

Also worthyof mention is the Il Grande Alfabeto dell’umanità exhibition, held in Milan, at the Biblioteca Ambrosiana, to celebrate the 1700th anniversary of the Edict of Constantine, whose promulgation marked the religious and civil history of humanity. Several biblical codes from the Vatican Library were presented at the exhibition to highlight the importance and relevance of the Bible today, and to make known the authentic value of the Bible not only in a religious, but also in an anthropological sense.