The exhibition “Barberini Carpet Workshop – The Resurrection of Jesus and the Consecration of St. Peter’s Basilica” has opened at the Vatican Museums.

“The Barberini Tapestry Workshop – The Resurrection and Dedication of the St. Peter’s Basilica” exhibition was opened on Monday afternoon, March 30, at the Vatican Museums’ Conference Hall.

This distinguished event featured many notable speakers, including Sr. Raffaella Petrini (President of the Governorate of Vatican City State), Cardinal Mauro Gambetti (Archpriest of St Peter's Basilica), Archbishop Giovanni Cesare Pagazzi (Librarian and Archivist for the Holy Roman Church), Rev Don Mauro Mantovani (Prefect of the Vatican Apostolic Library), Barbara Jatta (Director of Museums and Cultural Heritage) and Alessandra Rodolfo (Chief Curator of the 17th–18th Cape Art Departments as well as Tapestries and Textiles within the Museum). Also present were Archbishop Emilio Nappa and Giuseppe Puglisi-Alibrandi, both of whom serve as Secretaries General.

Established in Rooms XVII and XVIII of the Vatican Pinacoteca as part of the Museums at Work series, this exhibition's primary purpose is to commemorate the 400th anniversary of the Dedication of St. Peter's Basilica, which occurred on 18 November 1626.

Attendees are provided with an opportunity to view Barberini Manufacture of Rome tapestries utilising the work produced at this establishment to exhibit the ability to obtain higher quality tapestries, rivaling those produced by major foreign workshops and examples of the magnificence found in the Baroque period (1623-1644) while Urban VIII was Pope.

The exhibition is organized by Alessandra Rodolfo in partnership with the Vatican Apostolic Library and the Fabrica of St. Peter.

I'm delighted to welcome everyone here today, and especially Cardinal Mauro Gambetti (president of the St. Peter's Basilica factory), Msgr Cesare Pagazzi (archivist/librarian), and Msgr Mauro Mantovani (prefect of the Vatican Publishers) who contributed generously to help make this exhibition a reality.

I would like to extend my greetings to the other esteemed Authorities and express my gratitude for your acceptance of our invitation.

This is the second exhibition produced by the Vatican Museums, and Room XVII will be used because there is now available space, Room XVIII (which is part of the Pinacoteca), that has recently been connected to Room XVII, as a total of 25 exhibits have been held there since 2017.

The initiatives aim to enhance the understanding of specific pieces from our collections through various approaches based on related thematic concepts that identify their importance through their relationships with other objects as well as with each other (or at least do not allow them to "evade" visitors' attention when visiting the Vatican Museum's legions of exceptional masterpieces).

Similar to past initiatives, the current initiative has chosen a highly compact design. This choice is intended to help visitors concentrate and participate fully in their experience of the exhibited works by supplying visitors with an educational framework along with specialized lighting in order to improve overall engagement.

This evening’s theme is based around the Barberini Tapestry workshop. The workshop was established in the mid-17th century and was connected to both the papal court of Urban VIII and the family of Barberini. The establishment of a local artistic workshop for weaving tapestries allowed the Holy See to rely on the local art of Rome for tapestry creation rather than having to rely on overseas commissions that had previously been the case in prior centuries.

There are two larger-than-life works of art hanging in this exhibition, each in its own room. The first artwork, called The Resurrection, is part of the Life of Christ series and serves as a reminder of the upcoming Easter holiday. It can be found in the first room.

In room two, there is a large tapestry depicting the moment from the life of Pope Urban VIII, made to celebrate the 400th anniversary of St. Peter's Basilica's dedication on November 18, 1626. This large piece shows the ceremonial nature of the service inside the basilica.

Before welcoming the other respected speakers to this event, I want to take a moment to thank the staff members of the Directorate of Vatican Museums for their contributions toward making this incredible initiative into a reality—especially Dr. Alessandra Rodolfo and the exhibition curators. I’d like to also acknowledge the effort that is representative of collaborative work with two other notable Vatican institutions, the Fabbrica di San Pietro and the Vatican Apostolic Library, as recognised by the authorities of the Governorate, and I want to express my appreciation once again for your efforts and invaluable contribution to the success of this event.

In conclusion, I want to wish you all and your families a happy continuation of this Holy Week and a wonderful Easter celebration. Thank you very much!

Thank you.