this exhibition is amplified by the fact that it is being organised outside the Vatican...
Rome, July 6 (ANTARA/AKI) - Documents on the 17th century trial of Italian astronomer Galileo Galilei and and England`s 16th century monarch King Henry XIII are due be exhibited outside the Vatican for the first time next year.

The exhibition marking the Vatican Secret Archive`s 400th anniversary will display around 100 documents at Rome`s Capitoline Museums. The show "Lux in Arcana: The Vatican Secret Archives Revealed" opens in February and runs until September.

"The inherent richness of this exhibition is amplified by the fact that it is being organised outside the Vatican, on the Capitol Hill which symbolically represents the `heart` of Rome and its relationship with the papal city down the centuries," said Vatican secretary of state Cardinal Secretary Tarcisio Bertone, during a presentation on Tuesday at the Holy See press office.

The exhibit will include documents from World War II-era pontiff Pope Pius XII who the Vatican has defended against criticism that he didn`t do enough to stand up to World War II Nazi dictator Adolf Hitler and protect Jews.

The Archive was founded in the early 17th century and contains 84 kilometres of shelves holding papal bulls, correspondence, state papers, books and records of ancient Christianity.
(ANT.A045)

Editor: Ade P Marboen
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