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The setting for the representation of the Nativity of Jesus in Saint Peter’s Square for Christmas 2024 is a lagoon filled with almost stagnant water, with swamp birds including mallards, seagulls, herons and sea swifts, and local flora, small islands and the unfaltering fog. The nativity scene is a replica of the evocative landscape of the Island of the Sun, where Grado is located. The town in Friuli Venezia Giulia Region, is known as the daughter of Aquileia, but the mother of Venice.
The Vatican Museums complex is a priceless heritage of creativity, civilization, art, history and tradition at the service of faith, with a staff of some 780 people, a number which reaches 1,000 when taking into account all its collaborators. Its exhibitions were viewed by about seven million people in 2023, and the same number of people is expected to have visited by the end of 2024. These are only some of figures of the Vatican Museums complex. At the request of Pius XI, following the Lateran Treaty, it became an organic and efficient institutional system, open to the world with an entrance built on the Vatican Walls. Barbara Jatta, who was Deputy Director of the Vatican Museums from 15 June 2016 to 1 January 2017, when she was appointed Director of the Directorate of Vatican Museums and Cultural Heritage of the Governorate of Vatican City State, speaks about the Museums in the following interview with www.vaticanstate.va.
A useful instrument of connection between the Vatican Museums and the Patrons of the Arts for a closer and more fruitful cooperation. The Mission of the Office for Relations with Patrons of the Arts in the Vatican Museum (Urpavm) guarantees its professionalism and competence at the service of art and faith. The following is an interview with Msgr. Terence Hogan, Coordinator of the Office for Relations with Patrons of the Arts in the Vatican Museums.
Security, sustainability and accessibility were the guiding principles that inspired the decision to set up a new post office in Saint Peter’s Square. It will be inaugurated on 19 December, and will replace the old mobile post office which “went into retirement” on 5 December. The new prefabricated facility was built specifically to be easily dismantled and reused, as Mr. Antonino Intersimone, Director of the Directorate of Telecommunications and Information Systems, explains in the following interview. The post office is not permanently fixed to the Square, and will be located in the same spot as the previous mobile post office. In line with environmental sustainability standards, its floor, load-bearing structure and furniture are made entirely from wood.
With its 35 members, the Fire Brigade of Vatican City State is responsible for the complete protection of people, places and assets without any time limitations. The Fire Brigade is present at all papal celebrations, ready to intervene promptly in case of fire. Its task is to guarantee the safety of people, provide rescue services to the public and prevent and extinguish fires throughout the territory of Vatican City State in the buildings mentioned in Articles 15 and 16 of the Lateran Treaty. The following is an interview with Paolo De Angelis, Coordinator of the Fire Brigade.
The Governorate’s Directorate of Health and Hygiene is responsible for medical and health care, public health and hygiene, emergency medical care and first aid throughout the territory of Vatican City State, the Pontifical Villas and other buildings and areas provided for by the Lateran Treaty. The first health care system of the Sacred Apostolic Palaces has its roots in the Pontificate of Leo XIII, in October 1893. Through many changes over the years, it is now organized into the Directorate of Health and Hygiene, as it is known by Vatican residents and employees. In particular, it has 26 doctors, specialized in different fields. The following is an interview with Professor Andrea Arcangeli, Director of Directorate of Health and Hygiene of the Governorate of Vatican City State.
Protecting the Pontiff is the primary duty of the Gendarmerie Corps. It devotes all its energies and capabilities to guaranteeing his protection. This is why Gendarmes are often asked to live their profession as a mission and service to the fidelity of the Pope and to the Church.
In the last ten years, the Pontifical Villas have undergone a gradual transformation, from summer residence of the Popes, to a cultural hub open to visitors from around the world. The following is an interview with Andrea Tamburelli, Director of the Directorate of the Pontifical Villas.
Castel Gandolfo is an exquisite town in the Castelli Romani, located at the top of the ridge of Lake Albano, over the surrounding country, towards the sea and Rome.
The deep and still relevant bond between the Popes and Castel Gandolfo dates back to 1623, some 400 years ago, with Urban VIII Barberini, who was the first Pope to stay at the Castel Gandolfo residence. From accounts of historical facts and contexts, we can better understand what unites this joyful town with the Apostolic See and the successors of Peter, up to the current Pope.
Around 1200, the Gandolfi family from Genoa built a castle on the hill of Castel Gandolf, possibly over the ruins of Albalonga. The family name later became the name of the today’s town.
After some decades, the area was bought by the Savelli family, who owned it for some three centuries.
In 1596, during the Pontificate of Clement VII Aldobrandini (1592-1605), the Apostolic Chamber took possession of the territories of Castel Gandolfo and of Rocca Priora, with the Bull known as “Congregation of Barons”, seizing the property of the Savelli who had refused to repay back a debt of 150,000 écus. Part of the debt was later repaid and Rocca Priora was returned to the Savelli family, whereas Castel Gandolfo was declared an inalienable patrimony of the Holy See and permanently incorporated into the temporal goods of the Church.
At the behest of the community of Castel Gandolfo, Paul V Borghese (1605-1621) provided the town and the citadel with abundant water, by restructuring the aqueduct that brought water from the springs of Malaffitto, today known as Palazzolo. They are the property of Vatican City State still today.
Urban VIII Barberini (1623-1644) was the first Pontiff to stay at the Castel Gandolfo residence, in the Spring of 1626, once the Palace had been restructured by Carlo Maderno.
A garden was planted inside the Palace (Garden of the Moor) and during the same Pontificate of Urban VIII, Simone Lagi of Florence decorated the private chapel, the oratory and the tree-lined avenues, known as Galleria di Sopra and Galleria di Sotto (Upper and Lower Gallery) that connect Castel Gandolfo to Albano.
Alessandro VII Chigi (1655-1667) completed the construction of the Pontifical Palace with a new facade looking out onto the Square, a wing facing the sea and a large gallery, designed by Bernini.
Clement XIV Ganganelli (1769-1774) expanded the residence by buying neighbouring Villa Cybo in March 1773.
In 1870, with the end of the Papal States, the papal residence of Castel Gandolfo was abandoned for a period that lasted 60 years.
The Lateran Treaty of 1929 gave the Pontifical Villas their current dimensions, with the addition of the Villa Barberini complex, in which newly designed gardens were installed -- among those deserving special attention is the Belvedere gardens -- and the purchase of some vegetable gardens near Albano for a small agriculture business.
Pius XI Ratti (1922-1939) ordered consolidation and renovation works of the Pontifical Palace to make it more suitable to its new demands and for connections between the three villas (Garden of the Moor, Villa Cybo and Villa Barberini).
In 1934, the Astronomical Observatory was moved from the Vatican to Castel Gandolfo, and entrusted to the Jesuits.
The complex of the Pontifical Villas was thus delineated into 55 hectares, stretched between the Municipalities of Castel Gandolfo and Albano, which enjoyed privileges of extraterritoriality.
Over the last few years, with the election of Pope Francis, the style and use of the huge patrimony of the Villas has profoundly changed. The summer residence of Popes has become an area open to the public to reveal the great beauty of the place. We have therefore gone from providing a daily service to the Popes, to providing a service to the tourists and museum guides who visit the Villas.
It is extremely clear from this, that we need to find a new “Role” for the Pontifical Villas, and we have been working towards this with the support of close collaborators and of my colleagues, the Directors of Vatican City State, and above all, with the help of the President, Cardinal Fernando Vérgez Alzaga and of General Secretary Sister Raffaella Petrini.
I have seen the progressive transformation of the Pontifical Villas over the years, from summer residence of the Popes to cultural hub. Tourism and cultural aspects will be joined together, with more exhibitions, conferences, institutional meetings and events that will make the Villas a “patrimony of culture and humanity”.
Relations between the two Directorates are frequent and undoubtedly productive. I can confirm in fact, that for a few years now, in accordance with the wishes of the Holy Father, the Villas were opened to the public and the number of visitors is constantly on the rise. In 2023, a record number of more than 200,000 people visited the Villas. The various tours on offer are handled by the Directorate of the Vatican Museums and Cultural Heritage, in cooperation with the Directorate of the Pontifical Villas.
The positive effects of this collaboration between the two Directorates, along with the decision of the Directorate of the Pontifical Villas, which, in agreement with the Bodies of Government of the State, has eliminated any extraordinary investment and curbed costs for ordinary administrative activities, maintaining only the costs required to manage current aspects, can already be seen: for the first time ever, the Directorate of the Pontifical Villas has reported a positive budget variance. Thus, the enlightened vision of the Pontiff that began in 2014, was successfully achieved in 2023.
This virtuous cycle is still continuing in 2024, with the organization of new tours for our visitors, and the enhancement of exhibitions hosted at the Pontifical Palace and the internal itinerary of Villa Barberini, mostly aimed at enhancing the historical monument of the building.
This process will have a limited effect with respect to the past because the extraterritorial zone of Castel Gandolfo, will be undergoing an important transformation. In 2024, the territory will be managed by two bodies:
The Governorate, through the Directorate of the Pontifical Villas, will manage the Pontifical Palace and its associated areas, including the Secret Garden and the Garden of the Moor, as well as Palazzo Barberini and the “museum of the Antiquarium” which houses important findings from the Roman era, discovered in excavations of Emperor Domitian’s Villa (81-96 A.D.).
The Laudato Si’ Centre for higher education will manage the remaining areas of the Pontifical Villas.
There are currently 20 staff members, working mainly in the management and maintenance of the Pontifical Palace and Palazzo Barberini, and in the management of the Garden of the Moor and the Secret Garden. There used to be more than 60 members of staff, but some of them have left us because they had reached retirement age, while others work in the Gardens of Villa Barberini, today entrusted to the Vatican Administration. Many of them come to visit us often because the Pontifical Villas are always in the hearts of those who have spent some time there.
Trying to “show to the world” that science and faith are mutually supportive is one of the goals of the Specola Vaticana, which throughout the centuries has brought together the most prestigious scientists from various nations, becoming a point of reference, especially for research in the astronomical field. Jesuit Brother Guy J. Consolmagno, Director of the Specola, shares his thoughts.
The Vatican Pharmacy is unique and distinguishes itself from other pharmacies not only because it is located inside Vatican City State and because of its wide range of products, but also because it provides a service that is almost a mission, that of contributing to the health of the body and giving hope to those who suffer, inspired by the charism of Saint John of God. Brother Binish Thomas Mulackal of the Order of Fatebenefratelli, Director of the Vatican Pharmacy, speaks about this in the following interview.
A technological heart filled with humanity that cares for the environment. A structure aimed at making a leap in matters of development, with particular attention to the development and safeguarding of staff and to upgrading their security skills. The following is an interview with the engineer and former Italian army chief, Salvatore Farina, who was appointed Director of the Directorate for Infrastructures and Services of the Governorate of Vatican City State by Pope Francis, on 15 February of this year.
The Bocconi Government and University of Milan: a valuable collaboration that is expressed in a double exchange. First, the training for the employees of the Governorate itself and the possibility for students of the university to have a direct experience within the organization of the Vatican Museums. Maria Anna Circelli, the Governor’s delegate for special tasks, who also deals with staff training, talks about this in this interview.
Everything revolves around this structure when organizing and planning events, both institutional ones and those from beyond the Vatican. The Events Planning Office is central to the Governorate and to those who have to plan recurrent events or a one-off event. The managers of the Events Planning Office, which is under the authority of the General Secretariat of the Governorate of Vatican City State, explain how they work in the following interview.
There is no shortage of challenges to face for a reality as vast as that of the Directorate of Telecommunications and Information Systems of the Governatorate of the Vatican City State. In particular, in a world in rapid updating, especially in the technological and scientific field, the acquisition of the latest innovations is an absolute necessity. On the other hand, the Directorate has competences ranging from Post and Philatelic, to Networks and telephones, but also to computer systems and all security against possible attacks of cyberpirates. The director, Antonino Intersimone, talks about this in this interview and says he is ready to face the challenges with competence, agility and a clear strategic vision.
More than 3,500 documents are digitized every month and almost 40,000 per year. This large bulk of work is managed by the General Protocol and Central Archive of the Governorate, a structure that plays a decisive role also in the transmission and consultation of documents, the sorting of internal and external correspondence and the preservation and protection of the historical memory of the Governorate. The managers of the General Protocol and Central Archive of the Governorate of Vatican City State, explain their work in the following interview.
A Vatican City State Delegation will participate in the World Telecommunication Standardization Assembly, (WTSA-24) from 15 to 24 October, and in the Global Standard Symposium (GSS-24) on 14 October. Both will take place in New Delhi. It will be an opportunity to evaluate developments in the technological, normative and organizational aspects of Vatican telecommunications. The WTSA and the GSS are organized by the ITU-T, that is, by the International Telecommunication Union -- Telecommunication Standardization Bureau, the ITU section responsible for regulating telephone and telegraphic telecommunications. We spoke about this with Mr. Luigi Salimbeni, Deputy Director of the Directorate of Telecommunications and Information Systems of the Governorate of Vatican City State, who will take part in the global Assembly.
An over-the-counter pharmacy, under the direction of the Vatican Pharmacy, will be available in Saint Peter’s Square in view of the expected increase in the number of visitors and pilgrims for the Jubilee. The new facility will sell healthcare products that do not require prescriptions, such as supplements and personal hygiene products. Brother Binish Thomas Mulackal of the Order of Fatebenefratelli, Director of the Vatican Pharmacy, talks about the new facility in the following interview.
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