> NEWS & EVENTS
CARAVAGGIO'S CONVERSION OF SAUL - A CENSORED MASTERPIECE FROM THE ODESCALCHI PRIVATE COLLECTION
November 29, 2022
Thanks to an exclusive authorisation granted by the owners of the beautiful Odescalchi palace, we will have the opportunity to admire the famous censored Caravaggio painting. The painting is displayed in the wonderful private living rooms of Princess Nicoletta Odescalchi, opening exclusively for our group of Patrons.
> read on
PRIVATE OPENING SAN LORENZO IN MIRANDA IN THE ROMAN FORUM
September 22, 2022
The Church of San Lorenzo in Miranda is one of the hidden treasures of Rome. Overlooking and almost suspended on the Via Sacra of the Roman Forum and recently restored, it was created in the Middle Ages within what remained of the temple that the Roman emperor, Antoninus Pius had dedicated in 141 AD. to his wife Faustina and represents one of the most interesting and original examples of the combination of classical architecture and renaissance-baroque forms.
The building is currently owned by the Ancient Honorables of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Universitas Aromatoriarum Urbis, which also has a museum and a library in the ancient building. A manuscript by Raffaello Sanzio is also mentioned in their archives. It houses works by great masters such as Pietro da Cortona and also enjoys a breathtaking and unique view of the Roman Forum.
> read on
ANGELS IN THE SISTINE CHAPEL
with the Choir of the Accademia Filarmonica Romana
May 12, 2022
Private after-hours Visit in the Museums, Niccoline Chapel and Sistine Chapel, accented by the Choir of the Accademia Filarmonica Romana. Cocktail reception in the Cortile Ottagono.
> read on
THE ROMAN DOMUS UNDER THE CONVENT OF SANTA SUSANNA
March 6, 2022
Thanks to a special exclusive opening it will be possible to discover the marvellous and lesser-known underground area of the Church of Santa Susanna. The Church is one of the oldest Titular churches in the city of Rome.
The Early Christian church, built on the remains of three overlapping Roman villas, was situated immediately outside the wall of the Baths of Diocletian and the Servian walls which were the earliest defence walls of the city. According to tradition, the church was built on the house of Susanna where the saint was also martyred. In 4th century, it was called Church of Santa Susanna “ad duas domos”, (near the two houses) because of the precious archaeological remains discovered under the church and monastery.
> read on
PRESS RELEASE - THE APOLLO DEL BELVEDERE IN THE OCTAGONAL COURTYARD OF THE VATICAN MUSEUMS RECEIVED GRANT FUNDING FROM THE BANK OF AMERICA ART CONSERVATION PROJECT TO SUPPORT ITS RESTORATION AND THE MISSION OF THE PATRONS OF THE ARTS
VATICAN CITY, June 24, 2021
The Patrons of the Arts in the Vatican Museums (PAVM), a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization committed to the restoration, preservation and promotion of the artistic patrimony entrusted to the Vatican Museums, is pleased to receive grant funding in the amount of $250,000.00 from the Bank of America Art Conservation Project for the restoration of the Apollo del Belvedere in the Octagonal Courtyard of the Vatican Museums.
Pope Julius II (1503-1513) had this II century AD marble statue moved into the Octagonal Courtyard during his pontificate, which initiated the origins of the Vatican Museums. This statue is considered the highest form of art, and is one of the most admired among the ancient statues of Rome.
“The Apollo del Belvedere forms the original nucleus of the Vatican Collection, as Cardinal Giuliano della Rovere, upon becoming Pope Julius II, had the statue moved from the viridarium of his Cardinal Palace at St. Pietro in Vincoli to the Vatican,” said Dr. Barbara Jatta, the Vatican Museums Director. “Pope Julius had the Apollo statue placed in the garden adjacent to the Palazzetto di Belvedere, thus the origin of its name.”
> read on
ONLINE EVENT: PREVENTIVE CONSERVATION IN MAJOR MUSEUMS
COMPARISONS, REFLECTIONS AND STRATEGIES
March 25th 2021 - Live streaming h. 4:30p.m. - 5:30p.m.
Introduced by the Director of the Vatican Museums Barbara Jatta and Salvatore Settis, Academy of the Lincei, the presentation of Volume will include speeches by Massimo Osanna, General Director of Mibact (Italian Ministry of Culture), of Father Kevin Lixey, International Director of the Patrons of the Arts in the Vatican Museums, and Vittoria Cimino, Head of the Office of the Conservator of the Vatican Museums and curator of the volume for the Vatican Museums Editions.
A Round Table discussion will follow with the authors of the volume, including the directors of major international museums such as Mikhail Piotrovskiy of the Hermitage Museum, Max Hollein of the Metropolitan, Jean-Luc Martinez of the Louvre, Gabriele Finaldi of the National Gallery, Laurent Salomé of the Château de Versailles, Miguel Falomir Faus from the Prado Museum, Christian Greco from the Egyptian Museum and important scholars in the sector such as Antonio Paolucci, Marco Ciatti, Giorgio Bonsanti, Gaël de Guichen, Bruno Zanardi.
> read on
EXCLUSIVE ITALIAN & INTERNATIONAL PATRONS EVENT IN THE VATICAN MUSEUMS
June 2019
On June 1st the Italian & International Patrons were welcomed into the Vatican Museums for an indelible evening. After closing to the general public, the Museums invited us to explore the past, in the peaceful silence of the vast buildings that once housed the Holy Father.
Accompanied by elite docents, we were escorted through the magically frescoed galleries on route to a tourist-free Sistine Chapel, where we were embraced by the angelic voices of Monseigneur Pablo Colino's Choir of the Cappella Giulia. This a cappella choir delivered an awe-inspiring interpretation of prayers through song.
Their voices carried us through to the Etruscan Museum, all the way up to the Nicchione and the Terrazza Etrusca, where our Chapter was enveloped by a bird's eye view of the Vatican and the surrounding rooftops of the Eternal City.
> read on
SPECIAL ITALIAN & INTERNATIONAL PATRONS EVENT IN THE VATICAN MUSEUMS
May 2019
On May 25th the Italian & International Patrons were welcomed into the Vatican Museums for an indelible evening. After closing to the general public, the Museums invited us to explore the past, in the peaceful silence of the vast buildings that once housed the Holy Father.
Accompanied by elite docents, we were escorted through the magically frescoed galleries on route to a tourist-free Sistine Chapel, where we were embraced by the angelic voices of Monseigneur Pablo Colino's Choir of the Cappella Giulia. This a cappella choir delivered an awe-inspiring interpretation of prayers through song.
Their voices carried us through to the Etruscan Museum, all the way up to the Nicchione and the Terrazza Etrusca, where our Chapter was enveloped by a bird's eye view of the Vatican and the surrounding rooftops of the Eternal City.
Our group then had the incredible opportunity to waltz (barefoot!) down the Bramante staircase to Gallery of Busts and Statues and then gather for another splendidly invigorating musical finale with the Choir of the Cappella Giulia.
> read on
ITALIAN & INTERNATIONAL PATRONS SUPPORT TEDxROMA TALKS
May 2019
On Saturday May 4th TEDxRoma took place at the Roma Convention Center - La Nuvola.
TED is a non-profit organization which aims to Spread Ideas of Value. Starting as a 4-day conference in California (USA) over 30 years ago, TED has grown to support ideas that change the world with different initiatives. The annual TED conference invites the best thinkers and creators of the world to speak for 18 minutes. Their speech is then made available, free of charge, on TED.com. TED speakers include Bill Gates, Al Gore, Jane Goodall, Elizabeth Gilbert, Sir Richard Branson, Nandan Nilekani, Philippe Starck, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, Isabel Allende and Gordon Brown.
This year's theme, Society 5.0 A - Human Centric future, starred Deborah Tramentozzi, with her very own TED talk. Deborah has always been an inspiration for the Founders of our Chapters, as she encouraged our mission dedicated to making art accessible to all. Her talk focused on Art for the Blind by means of a copy of Caravaggio's Deposition for the visually impaired that the Vatican Museums kindly lent for the event.
> read on
ANNUAL EVENT IN THE VATICAN MUSEUMS
May 2018
On a Saturday in May, the Vatican Museums will open privately for us in the evening, after closing to the general public. We will explore the past, in a peaceful silence of the vast buildings that once housed the Holy Father and his attendants. Escorted through the magically fresco-ed galleries, we will witness the awe-inspiring Sistine Chapel, a masterpiece designed by the most important Renaissance painters. We will then visit the Galleria Chiaramonti, and its newly restored Braccio Nuovo, and learn secrets about its fascinating history. Then we will be whisked off for a special glimpse into the Gabinetto delle Maschere, which is closed to the public. Our evening will close with a visit to the Logge esterne and a reception in the Cortile Ottagono. This special nook hosts some of the Museums’ most important treasures, which were the nucleus of the Pope Julius’ II collection.
> read on
CHAPTER EXCLUSIVE TOUR WITH SPECIAL PERMIT SAN LORENZO IN MIRANDA IN THE ROMAN FORUM
March 2018
The church of San Lorenzo in Miranda, still consecrated, although not officiated regularly, is one of the hidden treasures of Rome. Overlooking and almost suspended on the Via Sacra of the Roman Forum and recently restored, it was created in the Middle Ages within what remained of the temple that the Roman emperor, Antoninus Pius had dedicated in 141 AD. to his wife Faustina and represents one of the most interesting and original examples of the combination of classical architecture and renaissance-baroque forms.
> read on
INNOVATIVE ACTIVITY FOR DEAF AND HEARING CHILDREN IN THE VATICAN MUSEUMS
by Isabella Salandri
December 2017
The Vatican Museums, in collaboration with the Istituto Statale Sordi di Roma and "Italia Creativa" Association, designed an innovative and inclusive educational activity, which can be simultaneously experienced by both deaf and hearing children. The visits will be organized in different Vatican Museum areas using special installations, B-Sense platforms, capable of converting music and sound into vibrations, offering all participants both the hearing and deaf, the opportunity to listen and feel melodies through the body.
> read on
CHAPTER VISIT TO THE HOLY STAIRS RESTORATIONS
November 2017
On Saturday, November 15th, a magnificent autumn morning welcomed around twenty members of the Italian and international Patrons, as they gathered in the evocative Piazza of San Giovanni in Laterano, in order to visit the Holy Stairs, one of the most sacred and spiritually engaging places of the Eternal City. The group was welcomed by Chapter President and Co-Founder Sabrina Zappia, Mary Angela Schroth, Coordinator of the Holy Stairs Project, and by Father Ottaviano D'Egidio, Superior General Emeritus of the Passionist Fathers and Superintendent of the Holy Stairs, who kindly offered to accompany the Patrons, as an exceptional guide, to the discovery of the treasures held in the Sancta Sanctorum, the first Papal Chapel rebuilt in 1277 on the ruins of the previous building dating back to the 8th century, as well as the inside of the Lateranean chapels of St. Sylvester , San Lorenzo and the Crucifixion, whose restoration was completed in 2016.
> read on
THE LIFE OF A SWISS GUARD, A PRIVATE VIEW
Thursday October 5th, 2017 - 6 - 8 PM
The Italian & International Patrons of the Arts in the Vatican Museums
cordially invite you to the Photographic Exhibition,
The Life of a Swiss Guard, A Private View from October 5th-20th at The Sheen Center,
18 Bleecker St, New York, Ny 10012 .
Opening will be on Thursday October 5th, 2017 | 6 - 8 PM and will include a special presentation by Guest speaker, Romina Cometti,
Curator of the Exhibit & Restoration Projects Manager of the Vatican Museums.
For information on this event please write to info@vaticanpatrons.it
A special thank you to the
New York Patrons of the Arts in the Vatican Museums
for their collaboration & support.
SECRETS OF THE
THE RAPHAEL ROOMS, SPECIAL EVENT IN THE VATICAN MUSEUMS
Saturday June 17, 2017 - 6 PM
The Italian & Iternational Patrons of the Arts in the Vatican Musuems are pleased to invite members to a private after-hours visit in the Museums, Raphael Rooms & Sistine Chapel on Saturday, June 17th @ 7 pm. A reception in the Vatican Gardens will follow our tour.
For information please write to info@vaticanpatrons.it.
VATICAN STATUES, UNIQUE & ORIGINAL NARRATIVE WRITTEN FOR THE ITALIAN & INTERNATIONAL PATRONS OF THE ART FOR WORLD AUTISM AWARENESS DAY - APRIL 2, 2017
April 2nd 2017
Our Chapter has received an incredibile and moving story that we are glad to publish on our website and are honored to share with all our fellow Patrons on World Autism Awareness Day.
VATICAN STATUES
by Federico Rosselli
The moon sheds a pale of light all over the city and the night covers the streets of Rome with a silence full of emotions. The lights of the windows create a special atmosphere. The dome of Saint Peter seems to almost disapper behind the shining face of the moon. A light breeze scatters around the dry leaves of the trees. The noise of cars rarely break the silence.
In this enchanting evening, a spell takes place in the Vatican Museums: the rooms are immersed in a magical atmosphere. The statues rouse from their sleep and begin to wander around the halls ... > read on
SPECIAL DOCUMENTARY SCREENING & EXHIBIT PREVIEW IN NEW YORK
October 2016
The colorful history and intriguing present of the Pontifical Swiss Guards protecting the Pope.
ON the evening of October 18th, the Permanent Observer Mission of the Holy See to the United Nations, together with the Patrons of the Arts in the Vatican Museums and the Solares Federazione delle Arti, will be holding a presentation and discussion of the new film "The World's Smallest Army" by Gianfranco Pannone. This film transports viewers inside the Vatican and into the lives of those men serving the Pontifical Swiss Guard, the famously clad army founded in 1506 to protect the Pope.
> read on
SPECIAL 2016 ITALIAN & INTERNATIONAL PATRONS EVENT IN THE VATICAN MUSEUMS
June 2016
This year, a very special itinerary was planned for the Italian & International Patron's annual vent in the Vatican Museums. The Vatican Museums opened up for us, once again, after closing to the public, allowing to explore the past, in the peaceful silence of the vast buildings that once housed the Holy Father and his entourage. Through the galleries empty of crowds and wonderfully frescoed, we visited the magnificent Sistine Chapel, the result of the work of the most important Florentine painters of the 400 and of Michelangelo's genius.
> read on
AN EYE ON THE VATICAN MUSEUMS: SEEING THE MIRACLE OF ART
March 2016
One of our International Patrons, Dr. David A. Sullivan, of Harvard Medical School and Schepens Eye Research Institute, who has been a Patron since our inception in 2012, recently proposed a wonderful idea that will help grow our Chapter and develop relationships with Catholic Universities and Schools. This initiative will enrich Catholic students and help grow support from the Patrons of the Arts in the Vatican Museums.
> read about this news
MEDITATIONS ON VATICAN ART IN THE VATICAN MUSEUMS
December 2015 - Musei Vaticani
The Italian & International Patrons of the Arts in the Vatican Museums
cordially invite you to
Meditations on Vatican Art
in the Vatican Museums
with Fr Mark Haydu, LC
International Director of the
Patrons of the Arts in the Vatican Musuems
Book Presentation
- Thursday December 10th - 6PM
in the Vatican Museums’ Conference Hall
Book signing & aperitif in the Pinacoteca will follow.
To register for this event and obtain
your complimentary tickets as a Patron of the Arts please write to inglese@paoline-multimedia.it or presidenza@vaticanpatrons.it
ITALIAN & INTERNATIONAL PATRONS VISIT THE PAPAL PALACES & GARDENS IN CASTEL GANDOLFO
September 2015 - Papal Palaces & Gardens in Castel Gandolfo
On September 19th 2015, the Italian & International Patrons of the Arts joined together for a special tour of the Papal Residence and Gardens of Castel Gandolfo.
Patrons gathered at the Gates of Villa Barberini on a sunny Saturday morning where they were greeted by Sabrina Zappia, Italian & International Patrons Chair, volunteers Ludovica Mazzitelli and Giulia Grierson, and guides Micaela Benelli and Sara Bongirolami.
The group proceeded to visit the botanical and architectural wonders of the Pontifical Residence. From the Magnolia Gardens to the Path of the Roses, to the ruins of Domitian’s Villa and the startling and magnificent panoramic view stretching towards the sea from the Belvedere Gardens, the Group truly enjoyed a wondrous and unique experience.
> view photos
MICHELANGELO’S MADONNA DI BRUGES FOR THE VISUALLY IMPAIRED UNVEILED IN THE VATICAN MUSEUMS
June 2015 - Vatican Museums
 On Saturday, 13 June 2015, the Italian and International Patrons of the Arts joined together for a special soirée in the Vatican Museums for the inauguration and unveiling of Michelangelo’s Madonna di Bruges in the Pinacoteca. Michelangelo's Madonna di Bruges, created and formed from the original casts of Casa Caravaggio, was dedicated to the tour for the visually impaired in the Vatican Museums. A poignant and unique experience, all Museum visitors will now be able to touch this masterpiece created by the genius of Michelangelo and recognize the face of the Virgin Mary and her child Jesus.
Guests from Italy and around the world, including the United States, France, Monaco, Finland, Poland, Algeria, Turkey, Switzerland, Australia and Denmark witnessed a splendid occasion embraced by the voices of angels and the miracle of art.
This extraordinary and memorable evening, organized by the Italian and International Patrons Leaders, Sabrina Zappia and Amy Gallant Sullivan, was opened by the Eminent Cardinal Lajolo with the unveiling of the Madonna di Bruges. Father Mark Haydu, International Director of the Patrons of the Arts in the Vatican Musuems introduced and thanked the Fonderia Marinelli in Florence, together with Ronald and Susan Welborn, Patrons from Texas, who donated this exquisite and historically important sculpture.
> read about this news
ITALIAN & INTERNATIONAL PATRONS VISIT THE PONTIFICAL SANCTUARY OF THE HOLY STAIRS
November 2014
by Ludovica Mazzitelli
On Saturday November 15th, a gorgeous and sun filled morning greeted the Italian & International Patrons and guests from Florence, even as far away as Catania, together with the Romans in Piazza San Giovanni commenced an exciting and spiritually enlightening visit to the Holy Stairs, the Scala Santa.
> read on!
DESCRIPTION OF THE MULTISENSORY ITINERARY IN THE VATICAN GARDENS
July 2014
by the Italian & International Patrons of the Arts in the Vatican Museums
Work has begun on this wonderful new Art Access project in the Vatican Museums' Gardens! The idea of a multisensory guided tour of the Vatican Gardens arises from the need to respond to a repeatedly expressed desire from blind, visually impaired and deaf-blind individuals asking to benefit from a place so unique and so rich in spirituality.
> read on!
MASTERPIECES UNVEILED FOR THE BLIND
November 2013
by Carolina Rea
Since 2011, the Vatican Museums has partnered with the Francesco Cavazza Institute for the Blind of Bologna in developing multisensory tours for its blind and visually impaired visitors. After creating a wonderful three-dimensional copy of the Transfiguration this past August, they have fashioned a bas-relief translation of the Fayoum portrait of a young man (inv. 56605) from the Zeri collection.
> read on!
Patron of the Arts 30th Anniversary Event in the Vatican and Message by Pope Francis to the Patrons
October 2013
"Dear friends, may your patronage of the arts in the Vatican Museums always be a sign of your interior participation in the spiritual life and mission of the Church. May it also be an expression of our hope in the coming of that Kingdom whose beauty, harmony and peace are the expectation of every human heart and the inspiration of mankind's highest artistic aspirations."
VATICAN MUSEUM MASTERPIECES SPEAK TO THE HEARING IMPAIRED
Art with a Different Tune
Saturday 22 June 2013, 6pm
Vatican Museums
> read about this event and see the photos
VATICAN MUSEUM MASTERPIECES UNVEILED FOR THE BLIND
The Beauty of Art for those who see differently
Wednesday June 13 2012, 6pm
Vatican Museums
> read about this event and see the photos
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