Vatican Museums: restored St. Peter's tunic and St. John's dalmatic

On Thursday, May 23, the Vatican Museums hosted a lengthy discussion, known as “Vatican Museum Thursdays,” focused on two extraordinary artifacts recently restored and unveiled: the tunic of St. Peter and the dalmatic of St. John.

The Sancta Sanctorum, a sacred chapel located at the apex of the Holy Staircase in the Papal Sanctuary in St. John Lateran Square, holds a priceless “treasure.” Historically, very little was known about this chapel, originally intended for the personal worship of Pope Nicholas III during his reign from 1277 to 1280. Located at the top of the Holy Staircase, it remained shrouded in mystery until April 1903 when, after numerous unsuccessful attempts , a skilled locksmith successfully broke the formidable locks that had guarded the Treasure of the Sancta Sanctorum inside the Lateran Patriarchate for centuries.

A tunic and dalmatic of oriental fashion were also found within the collection of relics. These particular garments, according to an ancient tradition, would have been worn by St. Peter and St. John the Evangelist.

According to Barbara Jatta, director of the Vatican Museums, there is still much to study about these two garments, which has opened a long debate. However, the immense devotion surrounding these priceless relics has prompted them to be shown to the faithful and pilgrims at the renowned Vatican Museums, which have been filled with visitors lately.

In 1903, among the notable items in the “Treasury,” Eastern-style robes were discovered and were identified as the garments worn by the two saints. Recent studies have provided convincing evidence based on a passage in the biography of Pope Gregory the Great (590-604) written by Deacon John in the 9th century. This passage confirms the existence, among the Lateran relics, of a tunic and dalmatic, attributed to St. John the Evangelist and St. Paschasius. This topic was the focus of Thursday's discussion, according to the official press release.

The University of Tuscia conducted scientific analysis during recent restorations and determined that St. Peter's tunic dates to the period between the second half of the sixth century and the first half of the seventh century AD. Moreover, St. John's dalmatic would have been dated between the late first century and the second half of the second century AD, as confirmed by Luca Pesante of the Cabinet for Scientific Research in a comprehensive interview in Vatican News.

At the conference, the focus was on the conservation efforts undertaken by the Tapestry and Textile Laboratory of the Vatican Museums, particularly with regard to the preservation of valuable artifacts. It was discovered that the condition of the tunic of St. Peter was severely deteriorated, while the tunic of St. John remained relatively well preserved. The robes are composed of wool, linen and nettle fibers.

On the way out of the Sistine Chapel, in the Hall of Discourses of Pius IX, one can find and appreciate the presence of two valuable robes.