The exhibition “Dalì’s Christ in Rome” has been hailed as a resounding success, with 330,000 visitors present in just over 40 days of the event which took place at the Church of San Marcello al Corso in Rome. From 13 May to 24 June 2024, churchgoers and tourists alike were able to admire the famous painting by Salvador Dalì, “Christ of Saint John of the Cross” (1951), which is housed in the Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum in Glasgow, Scotland, with free admission. The relic-drawing of the Crucified Christ (1542-1591) sketched by Saint John of the Cross himself and normally kept in Avila, Spain, and from which Dalì took inspiration for his painting, was exhibited alongside Dalì’s masterpiece.
The success of the Dalì Exhibition, the third exhibition of the series being held in preparation for the Holy Year, under the title “The Jubilee is culture”, follows the success of the El Greco Exhibition, in the autumn of 2023 in Sant’Agnese in Agone, which had 288,000 visitors and the “100 Nativity Scenes in the Vatican” exhibition in St. Peter’s Square, with over 280,000 attendees.
The preparatory cultural events will resume next autumn. The first event will be held at 6pm on November 3, 2024 at the Auditorium della Conciliazione, with the Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia performing Shostakovich’s Fifth Symphony conducted by Maestro Jader Bignamini, Musical Director of the Detroit Symphony Orchestra.
Just before the opening of the Holy Door, on 22 December 2024, at 6 pm, at the Church of Sant’Ignazio the Choir of the Pontifical Sistine Chapel will perform various polyphonic compositions by Palestrina, Perosi and Bartolucci .
In the final months of the year there will also be an art exhibition dedicated to Marc Chagall.