Exhibition in Vatican Museums dedicated to Vatican Radio

Vatican Radio’s 80^th birthday (1931 – 2011) is being marked by an exhibition that allows visitors to get to know the “Pope’s Radio”, its history, how it works, and how it is facing the many multimedia challenges of today.

The exhibition occupies a prominent position at the entrance to the Vatican Museums, beside a huge plate-glass window featuring the name “Vatican Radio” written in the 40 main languages the Radio uses today, and the logo especially created to recall the Radio’s seven Popes. The exhibition will be open until February 12^th, 2012.

A curved wall made of wood and aluminium, meant to simulate airwaves propagated by the two antennas at the Santa Maria di Galeria transmission centre, delineates the exhibition space. Various objects from the Vatican Radio Museum are also on show. These include a wavemeter, a telex with Morse-code keyboard, a short wave radio receiver, several microphones used by the popes, and the bronze bust of Guglielmo Marconi, who built the Radio on the invitation of Pope Pius XI, along with a model of the Palazzina Leo XIII where the Control Centre is located inside the Vatican Gardens.

A selection of photographs depicts Vatican Radio’s 80-year history and experience: from historical pictures to those illustrating the current website and other technological developments. There are photographs showing the first ever radio link-up, made by Pope Pius XI in February 1931, between Vatican City and Castel Gandolfo, as well as pictures of Vatican Radio’s current headquarters in Palazzo Pio, the Control Centre inside the Palazzina Leo XIII, the original Palazzina Marconi building in the Vatican Gardens, and the Transmission Centre at Santa Maria di Galeria.

The exhibition also features a video presenting the chronological highlights of Vatican Radio’s history, a film about the Vatican Radio Museum, and an interactive touch screen that enables visitors to see the seven Popes of the Radio (Pius XI, Pius XII, John XXIII, Paul VI, John Paul I, John Paul II, Benedict XVI), and hear their voices.

A stand depicting a stylized 1930’s radio contains two computers that allow visitors to view and consult Vatican Radio’s website. The exhibition was designed by Barbara Jatta and Roberto Pulitani, in collaboration with Vatican Radio, and was built by the Ditta Tosetto of Venice.