Commemorative Exhibition
Extension of Exhibition
1929- 2009
80 YEARS OF VATICAN CITY STATE
Commemorative Exhibition
12 February 2009 - 14 June 2009
St. Peter's Square – Braccio di Carlo Magno
Following on an increase in public demand, the closing date for the exhibition, originally scheduled for 10 May, has been extended to 14 June.
The exhibition is divided into five sections:
Section I: The Vatican before 1929: concerned with urban and topographic changes of the area.
Section II: Pope Pius XI: dedicated to Achille Ratti, the soul of the Vatican State.
Section III: The Lateran Pacts: dedicated to the Lateran Pacts (11 February 1929), signed by the Secretary of State, Cardinal Pietro Gasparri, and Benito Mussolini, Head of the Italian Government. The original document of the Lateran Treaty is shown to the public for the first time.
Section IV: The Building of the Vatican State: dedicated to the construction of various buildings (Governatorate, Tribunal, Railway Station, Radio, Post Office, Museums, Academy of Sciences, Parking Garage, Technical Services, Commisaries, Entrances, etc.).
Section V: The Other Pontificates: exhibition of portraits and other personal belongings of the popes who succeeded Pius XI, which are taken from the collection of the Vatican Museums. Among the items on display is the Citroen Lictoria automobile of Pope Pius XI, characterized by the throne in place of the back seat.