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Interview with Director Antonio Paolucci, who decided to open the every Friday evening in September and October. He speaks about the initiative. Nighttime Openings of the Vatican Museums

bring to the Vatican understandable things that are by ANGELA AMBROGETTI Museums from your Italian extremely difficult to experience? o understand. To understand It is nothing new for museums A.P.: I believe i brought here my Raphael or is as in Europe and Italy. But the experience of important difficult as to understand a Vatican Museums normally museums in the Italian sonnet by Shakespeare or a close their doors at 3 pm, and to Republic, I was superintendent short story by Cervantes. keep them open late at night is in , and Mantua People don't understand this: a real innovation. It is one of the and minister of Italy's cultural they see colourful figures and novelties introduced by heritage from 1995 to 1996. As think that they understand. As Antonio Paolucci, director of I see it, a limitation in how the a matter of fact, they haven't the Vatican Museums. Paolucci Vatican Museums have been understood anything. It is is a world-famous art historian directed is a kind of "closed-in" extremely difficult to who came to the Vatican spirit, which in some ways is understand works of art and Museums after many years as typical for these places. It can "converse" with them so that superintendent of Florence and only be useful to soften and they can teach you something. I Mantua and as Italy's minister open up to relationships with think that today, the real of culture. He says he wishes to the exterior world, I must say problem of the historic give the museums "back to the that people are surprised that museums of the world is that in people", according to the the Vatican bureaucracy actually our time there is a semantic intention of the Popes who works better than that of the "blackout" of symbols and their created them. The first evening Italian ministries. I know Italy's meanings. For example, what is opening in July was a success; ministries well and I am starting circumcision, or Hercules' the evening openings on Friday to know the Vatican twelve labours? Who was Ajax? nights in September and bureaucracy, and I must say that These symbols have dominated October are still an experiment, the Vatican system can give good Western civilization for 2,000 and starting next summer they results, if it is well-governed. years and they are no longer will be permanent. I spoke with Is the museum a social place, perceptible. We must help Paolucci in his office. a meeting place? o people to understand symbols You are opening the Vatican A.P.: I think it is a rather and to understand how artists Museums at night. Are people superficial idea that the museum have put these symbols into coming? o is a meeting place. You meet their works of art. I think that A.P.: I have seen many families, people at a bar, at a restaurant, the future is i the didactics of young couples, group of friends in the piazza, on a walk. Here education. The museum is and people from the city. The you meet works or art, you meet necessary, and this was the view big groups of Japanese tourists the Belvedere Apollo, the of the great Popes who created are not coming. It was a form of Laocoon, Raffaello's Stanze, it. The Vatican Museums were "reconquest" of the museums, Michelangelo. The problem made by Clement XIV, Pius VI which the Popes created with the Vatican Museums, as and Pius VII, in the same years precisely for ordinary people. with all the big museums in the when the modern museums of Mr. Director, what did you world, is to make Europe were created, like the

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MUSEI VATICANI Data October 2009 INSIDE THE VATICAN Pagina 20/21 Foglio 2 / 2

Louvre of the Historic particular works of art. What understood these things. He was Museums of Vienna or Berlin. can you say that I don't know the only truly modern Pope who These people asked themselves them! I think that some think was a friend of the arts. But what the meaning of a museum that you can understand even turning back to reality, the is and why it was meaningful to after just a short visit, and this Vatican Museums today is a invest a lot of money in them. is something my most reverend company in the black, perhaps The formidable educational superiors should consider, the the only one in the Vatican, with function of a museum is to historic and cultural mission of 600 employees and four and a transform common people in the Church of Rome. Think of half million visitors. It earns citizens. A Pope of a head of this "heresy" of Hebraism, the more than it spends. this is an state needs citizens, because the most opposed to graven images objective fact, and allows us to are more useful and more of all the Mediterranean risk an evening session. important than common people cultures, which comes here and Have you consider separate who are unpredictable and accepts the incredible challenge entrance do different parts of ungovernable. Citizens are the of accepting the Hellenistic the Museums, as at the collaborations of an enlightened Greco-Roman figurative Louvre? o government. This was how they culture. It gives the face of A.P.: No, because I fear you reasoned in the 18th and 19th Phoebus Apollo to Christ, that would lose the understanding of centuries. o of Hercules Invictus to Daniel the plurality of the Museums. Does art history still have a among the lions, And in the 15th Imagine a separate entrance for place in the educational of and 16th centuries, the Church the ! People ordinary citizens? o accepted the challenge of would go only there, because A.P.: In Italy very little, in other considering visible reality as an that is what they are interested countries not at all. I hope that epiphany of God, as God's in, and they would leave all the art history will remain at least in shadow on earth. If they hadn't rest wonderfully empty. With the humanistic programs of the thought that, there would have my egoism as an art historian, I secondary school. Roberto been no Giovanni Bellini, could be happy about that, but Longhi, who was my teacher, Raphael, Tiziano. And then I don't feel is useful. Although used to say that the true there is ethnographic museum, with so many visitors, I don't language of Italians is the which shows that the Church know what will remain of the figurative language. Italian also respects the so-called Sistine Chapel in two or three invented figures and music. In barbarian cultures. And what generations. . this, we are the first in the world: can we say about contemporary we can make figures and sing, art with the gallery created by not bad! Other people can be that great and wonderfully philosophers. o pessimistic Pope, Paul VI? In a Are there other plans for hour and half you can not say opening up the museums? these things... This is the unique A.P.: It would be crazy to and specific character of the believe that you can know the Vatican Museums, which are Vatican Museums in an hour and always mentioned in the plural, a half, which is the time of most because the Church has tried to tours. I began to visit the Vatican cover all the expressions of man; Museums as a student and I man the artist, who is a creator have been director for two years, and thus an image of God, both and yet I can only say that I when he makes a canoe in Papua don't know them! I know New Guinea and when he paints something, some sections, some the Last Judgement. Paul VI

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