Pope Francis has revealed his intention to stop at the 60th Venice Biennale on April 28, during a planned one-day visit to Rome. This visit marks the first time the current Bishop of Rome will attend the prestigious biennial event.
During his visit, the 87-year-old Pope will visit the Holy See pavilion, located in the women’s prison at Venice’s Giudecca Island this year. The exhibition, titled “With My Eyes,” has been curated by Chiara Parisi and Bruno Racine, and is dedicated to the theme of human rights, as stated in an announcement from the Vatican Dicastery for Culture and Education.
Since 2013, the Holy See, the governing body of the Catholic Church, has consistently participated in the biennial. The inception of the pavilion started with Benedict XVI, who advocated for a revitalized connection between the Church and the arts throughout his papacy.
The last time a pope made a pastoral visit to the city of Venice was 13 years ago, when Benedict XVI visited on May 7 and 8, 2011. Prior to that, John Paul II had visited in 1985.
