Christian Museum

Give one object in a case a little time. A small piece of glass, ivory or metal may once have belonged to daily life or worship before entering a collection. Here, the display’s history is tied to the study of early Christianity. Pope Benedict XIV founded the Christian Museum in 1757. Its first curator, the scholar Francesco Vettori, organized material that included objects from the catacombs. Specially designed cabinets helped classify the collection, bringing objects together so their forms and uses could be compared. As the museum expanded, neighbouring rooms took on new roles. The Hall of the Papyri was associated with Latin documents from the church of Ravenna, while other spaces housed books and artistic donations. These galleries later became part of the Vatican Museums. This is a different collection from the Pius-Christian Museum, where large early Christian sarcophagi form the principal subject. Here, the smaller scale rewards a closer look at how an object was made and used.