'Splendors' Of Vatican To Grace Bay Area

By CARLOS MONCADA and KEVIN WALKER The Tampa Tribune

Published: Dec 13, 2007

ST. PETERSBURG - One of the largest collections of art and artifacts from the Vatican is coming to the Tampa Bay area, offering residents and visitors a glimpse of religious relics never seen outside Rome.

"Vatican Splendors From Saint Peter's Basilica, the Vatican Museums and Swiss Guard" opens Feb. 9 and will run through May 11 at the Florida International Museum in downtown St. Petersburg.

"It's probably not going to happen again in our lifetimes," said Bishop Robert N. Lynch, of the Roman Catholic Diocese of St. Petersburg. "This exhibit already has come to Florida once, and I doubt it will again."

Lynch, St. Petersburg Mayor Rick Baker, St. Petersburg College President Carl Kuttler and others gathered at the museum Wednesday to announce the event, one day after a contract was secured to host the show. The bishop was credited with landing the exhibition for St. Petersburg, the first stop on a three-city tour.

Museum officials expect the exhibit to draw at least 100,000 people. Similar shows in other cities have attracted 75,000 to 150,000 people, said Kathy Oathout, the museum's executive director.

The show will feature 200 pieces of art and historical objects, many of which have never left the Vatican.

Among them: the "Mandylion of Edessa," a third to fifth century linen painting of the face of Jesus; the papal tiara of Pope Pius VII, symbol of the papacy; and a reproduction of the tomb of St. Peter.

Although the Vatican draws millions of visitors each year with its art and history, its collection has rarely been on display, museum officials said.

"You can't put a price tag on this exhibit," Lynch said. "It's only about 1 percent of what they have in Rome, but it's amazing. For example, they have a third century drawing that they think is one of the first ever of Jesus' face. How can you put a price on that? That's truly priceless."

Fort Lauderdale hosted a similar show in 2003 that drew an estimated 150,000 spectators. Many of those people were affiliated with religious denominations other than Catholic, Lynch said.

"I believe that this has great educational opportunity for people of all faiths," the bishop said.

Cyndi Putnam of Loudmouth Marketing, who is handling publicity for the event, said when the exhibit came to Fort Lauderdale, "people lined up around the block, some of them praying. People came from all over the state."

After leaving St. Petersburg, the exhibit will go to two other U.S. cities if negotiations with the Vatican are successful. Those cities are Cleveland and St. Paul, Minn.

Tickets will go on sale Monday at $20 for adults, $17 for seniors, $15 for those in the military and $13 for children ages 6 to 12. Children younger than 6 will be admitted free. For information, call Florida International Museum at (727) 341-7900.

Reporter Carlos Moncada can be reached at (727) 451-2333 or cmoncada@tampatrib.com. Reporter Kevin Walker can be reached at (813) 259-7975 or kwalker@tampatrib.com.