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Pope Francis will send back to Greece the three fragments of the Parthenon Sculptures that the Vatican Museums have held for two centuries, in the latest case of a Western museum bowing to demands for restitution of artifacts to their countries of origin. — AP
The bequest was labeled a “donation” from the Vatican by Pope Francis, who also called it “a concrete sign of [his] sincere desire to follow in the ecumenical path of truth.” The British Museum, meanwhile, is also reportedly in talks with Greece to return parts of its argued-over... View full entry
The Vatican is making another foray into contemporary art with the launch of a dedicated space for exhibitions of works by 21st-century artists. [...] The move comes after the Vatican Museums cancelled an exhibition in 2018 of works by Andy Warhol which was intended to explore the Pop artist’s “spiritual side”. — The Art Newspaper
The transformation of a hall in the Vatican’s historical Apostolical Library was underwritten in part by the heirs of US film producer and philanthropist Kirk Kerkorian. Pope Francis has been behind the push to incorporate contemporary artists into the Vatican’s cultural program since his... View full entry
The head of the Vatican’s extensive gardens has announced an initiative, already underway, to totally eliminate the use of chemical pesticides and fertilizers. — Aleteia
The use of chemical substances at the 37-acre Vatican Gardens has fallen by 96-percent since an effort to reduce the use of these toxic substances was started back in 2017. "Under the initiative, the Vatican Gardens has adopted the use of organic products to eliminate destructive insects... View full entry
The Vatican has announced that it will be participating in this year's Venice Architecture Biennale. They have previously had a presence at the International Exhibition of Art of the Biennale di Venezia, but it will be the first time ever the city-sized country has had a pavilion at... View full entry
Collectively, the encyclical affirms how important it is to make the moral case for city design. Too often, developers, urban planners and city leaders seem to think that it is obvious or implied why the decisions they make are in the best interest of the public. But there is no shortcut to articulating why our planning choices speak to the fundamental human dignity of the communities we’re working in. — nextcity.org
"Given the interrelationship between living space and human behaviour, those who design buildings, neighbourhoods, public spaces and cities, ought to draw on the various disciplines which help us to understand people’s thought processes, symbolic language and ways of acting. It is not enough to... View full entry
The Vatican said Friday it had finished renovations on public restrooms just off St. Peter's Square that will include three showers and a free barber shop for the city's neediest. Each "homeless pilgrim," as the Vatican called the clients, will receive a kit including a towel, change of underwear, soap, deodorant, toothpaste, razor and shaving cream. The showers will be open every day but Wednesday, when the piazza is full for the pope's general audience. Haircuts will be available Mondays. — Star Tribune
The sleek, clean facilities – with grey walls, white washbasins and a "hi-tech looking" barber's chair – opened two days ago. According to Pope Francis' chief alms-giver, Monsignor Konrad Krajewski, the initiative is intended to help the homeless secure jobs and residences, something that is... View full entry
