After news of a possible discover of a new Caravaggio painting - “San Lorenzo” - the painting has been determined not to be of Caravaggio origin. The ‘Martirio di San Lorenzo’ was originally reported by the Vatican newspaper, Osservatore Romano, as possibly being by Caravaggio, but the newspaper has since revealed that this is most likely not be the case.

The head of the Vatican Museums, Antonio Paolucci, has stated that the Saint Lawrence work is most likely a copy of an original Caravaggio. The Italians are describing the affair as an example of Caravaggio-mania in a year in which the country is celebrating the 400th anniversary of the painter’s death.

Paolucci has stated that the painting in question, a depiction of the martyrdom of Saint Lawrence on a gridiron, is a work of modest quality by flawed painting techniques. It doesn’t show the quality of a true Caravaggio and the statements confirm the doubts of Maurizio Marini, Caravaggio expert, on the authenticity of the painting when it was first found. According to reports, Saint Lawrence was not a subject that would have been known to Caravaggio.

Continue reading: Saint Lawrence not a Caravaggio original

After the iBreviary for the iPhone appeared, there is a new addition to the book of daily prayers for the iPhone in the form of an iPad app that contains the missal. The application, currently called iMass, has been developed by the Rev Paolo Padrini, who claims that it could make it easier for priests who travel a lot to celebrate mass with their own missal on their iPad.

While he says it won’t replace many of the book-based missals used by priests to celebrate mass, some of them are old and falling apart and need a modern replacement for travelling priests. The iPad application makes it handy for priests to celebrate mass while on the road and will be launched in July in English, Italian, French, Spanish and Latin.

Despite its apparent need for a name, 200,000 people have already downloaded it. Father Padrini heads the Vatican’s new media outreach program for young people, which includes a presence on Facebook and YouTube. We’re still a bit dubious, but if there’s one way to take the message to young people, it’s via technology.

Source | ItalyMag
Photo | Flickr

Continue reading: Make way for the iMass: application has priests celebrate mass on iPad

International press news from Italy includes everything from Roma’s top spot in the Serie A football list, above FC Internazionale, to the restoration of the Colosseum and papal cover-ups. Sometimes it seems the world just can’t get enough of Italy.

Among the favourite topics from Spain’s El Pais is the 23 million euros announced for the restoration of the Colosseum. Rome’s mayor, Alemanno, has approved the expensive plan and the Spaniards say it’s come in time to prevent a similar fate to that of the roof crumbling on the Domus Aurea.

The Italians call it the most ‘curious’ topic, but if you know anything about Germaine Greer’s celebrity status in the Anglo world, you won’t be surprised that the Guardian reported a supposed dalliance between the strident feminist and Federico Fellini. Another event which apparently occured in Rome, over dinner of a basil risotto.

A Telegraph columnist uses an old favourite among journalists to compare modern politics to ancient times, wandering Rome’s ruins while pondering Britain’s budget deficit:

Continue reading: News from Italy: Fellini's feminist lovers, Colosseum restoration and papal cover-ups

44 years after John Lennon famously declared that the Beatles were bigger than Jesus, the Vatican’s newspaper Osservatore Romano has published an article in which it discusses the pop phenomenon of the world famous British band. According to the paper, the comment was not really that scandalous and the band’s less than examplary lifestyle is all the past.

Their music, however, lives on and the band can be forgiven due to the beautiful melodies and music which it has left the world. As response, Beatles drummer Ringo Starr has said that the Vatican had orginally labelled the Beatles ‘Satanic’ and that in any case, the Vatican really has more to talk about. After the jump is a 1960’s news bulletin in which the infamous comment is discussed.

Continue reading: Vatican forgives John Lennon 'Beatles bigger than Jesus' comment

The Vatican Museums at night could put you in mind of the opening scenes of the Da Vinci Code film, but the possibility of visiting the Sistine Chapel and the rest of the masterpieces in the Vatican Museums at night is real. You can enjoy the spaces and the works without having to queue, and in addition you get an unusual experience to add to your tour of Rome.

Every Friday from April through to October, the Vatican museums are open from 7 pm to 11 pm, with last entrance at 9:30 pm. You can book tickets here for the Vatican Museums at night, which cost 31 euros for adults and 25 euros discounted. The prices are a bit high, but apparently worth it to see the St Peter’s dome under starlight, and torchlight in the various courtyards of the Vatican. Visitors also get the chance to see the Gregorian Egyptian museum.

Photo | Flickr

Continue reading: Vatican Museums open at night: tickets online

The Vatican will get a restoration job soon, with St Peter’s square being restored to what is described as the original idea from Bernini from the 1600’s. From the Carlo Magno corridor to Costantino the ochre finish on the ground, applied in the 1800’s will be taken off, and restored to white.

The decision has been made on finding a document in the Vatican archives that attests to Bernini’s original vision for Piazza san Pietro. Technicians and restoration experts have done analyses of the square, and found below the ochre finish a white surface that should have been the original. The work is expected to take about five years, in which time restoration works will also be completed on the 140 statues and 244 columns in the piazza.

Continue reading: Piazza san Pietro restored to white: St Peter's back to Bernini's vision

Dan Brown’s book, the Da Vinci Code, has got nothing on Dr. Stephen Haliczer’s game, Vatican: The Board Game. In a game that will test your theological and doctrincal knowledge, players attempt to reach the top of the Vatican to be ordained as Pope. The game takes events from the previous papal term, with strange and bizarre circumstances, and tests the players currently at cardinal level, who aspire to the top job.

Moral and theological issues are tackled, including contraception, celibacy, stem cell research, theological censorship, and the politics of beatification. Jucier aspects like the sin of gluttony and temptation, represented by a banquet dinner with cannelloni, also appear. The website for the game describes it thus:

Vatican is a fascinating way for all to understand a central point of Catholic identity, and will appeal to a wide variety of audiences, whatever their religious preferences… It is sophisticated, filled with nuance that makes replays as enjoyable as the first time you play it. For teachers, it’s a powerful educational tool – for a gathering of friends, it’s a stimulating experience. Vatican, historically accurate, is more compelling than the depictions of the Catholic Church in popular culture. Reality and truth are always more interesting than fiction.

For more information, you can also go to the dedicated Facebook Vatican game page.

Continue reading: Become a Pope with "Vatican: The Board Game"

Italian inventions take it to the next level with an automatic holy water dispenser for churches. The traditional holy water font into which Catholics dip their fingers to bless themselves will be replaced in some churches in Italy, particularly in light of swine flu concerns.

The automatic holy water font, much like those equipped with a sensor that can be found in public bathrooms, has been designed by Luciano Marabrese for hygiene reasons. Milan’s Duomo had already banned the use of water fonts, and Italy is experiencing a significant outbreak of swine flu (though there isn’t necessarily a link between swine flu and the use of water fonts in churches).

The automatic holy water font has been trialled at Fornaci di Briosco church in the Brianza district near Milan, and once accepted by Italian Catholics, has been successful. Marabrese says he has been swamped by orders, though I can’t wait to see how they’re going to establish this in Italy’s many churches. Next stop the Vatican?

Source | ItalyMag
Photo | Flickr

Continue reading: Automatic holy water font designed: Italy's churches battle swine flu

On 8 December, Christie’s will put on the block a drawing by Raphael, one of the greatest artists of Renaissance period; the piece (Head of a Muse) is a study the artist used for his Parnassus, a beautiful fresco commissioned by Pope Julius II for the Stanza della Signatura in the Vatican. Completed between 1508 and 1511, the Raphael drawing is expected to fetch 16 million euros!

Source | Telegraph

Continue reading: Raphael drawing £ 6 million expected at auction

Rome’s Vatican Museums evening opening is tonight, with tickets available on the Vatican Museum site. The after hours opening lasts through the evening, with the Sistine Chapel open until 11pm.

It appears the event is a one-off, but if successful, we could see the Vatican open until late more frequently, especially during the summer months. Perhaps Rome residents and the rest of us, will avoid Vatican queues like these!

Continue reading: Rome by night: Vatican Museums evening opening

This curious mosaic has been spotted by one of our colleagues from 06blog, while on the queue to enter the Vatican Museum. The little tile decoration looks like something out of Space Invaders, sitting inconspicuously on the side of a building in Viale Vaticano.

It’s a bit of a mystery really, but looks like it could come from the Invader street artist who has conquered the streets of the world’s cities since 1998. First appearing in Paris, the alien mosaics have become an alternative sight for tourists. You can even track their appearance around the world on the updated map and see the cult Space Invaders gallery on Flickr.

The only problem is, no existence of the Space Invader mosaic has been listed for Rome. Nothing has yet appeared on the internet to suggest that Rome has its own little invader, although they have appeared everywhere from Perth, in Australia, to Mombasa, Manchester, New York, Bilbao and Katmandu (etc etc).

Could this be a copy cat version? Did the artist forget about “that night in Rome on the Viale Vaticano”…? If anyone has any information on Rome’s space invader mosaic, get in touch, we’d be happy to have the mystery solved. Eat your heart out, Dan Brown!

Space Invaders in Rome

Continue reading: Space Invaders in Rome: the mystery of the Vatican's Space Invader mosaic

US President Barack Obama is set to meet Pope Benedict XVI in what is set to be an interesting meeting on July 10th. Obama is currently under fire in the US for his pro-abortion stance, though any discussion with the Pope is likely to be far more wide ranging than that.

Obama will be in Italy for the G8 summit to be held in the earthquake-stricken town of Aquila in Abruzzo. He will have an afternoon audience with the Pope that goes against tradition, but it shows that the two leaders are keen to meet and follows the personal note from the Pontiff on Obama’s election victory.

It will be a controversial visit with American bishops anti-Obama for the said abortion stance, while the Vatican seems to have been more accommodating, expressing an open opportunity for the US president and Pope to meet. Curiously, in America itself, Obama received a majority of Catholic votes, particularly from the Hispanic community.

Source | ABC Local

Continue reading: Obama to meet Pope in Italy