Overall impression: This is a wonderful way to get a modest peek of the enormous Vatican collections. Regardless of your religious inclinations, these artifacts, artworks and jewelry, dating as far back as the 3rd century, are of historical significance and worth at least one visit.  If you expect to see the Vatican collection, Rome is the place for you. Although the exhibit stands out for the quantity of pieces exhibited for the first time outside the Vatican, and there are some lovely items on display, they provide only a pale glimpse that cannot do justice to the immense (in size and artistic quality) Vatican collection. It whet my art and history appetite and motivated me to plan a visit to the Vatican Museums, among the most wonderful in the world .

Duration: 18 months

Established:  Event organization began in 1997

Lending organizations:  Office of the Liturgical Celebrations of the Supreme Pontiff; Reverenda Basilica of St. Peter's; Vatican Museums: Pio Christian Museum, Sacred Museum, Painting Gallery and the Ethnological Museum; Patriarchal Basilica of St. Paul Outside the Walls; Archives of the Congregation of Propaganda Fide (encourages missionary activity)

Organizers : Art Services International, Clear Channel Exhibitions and Trident Media Group

Languages:  English and Spanish

Audio tour:  Yes

Average visit duration: 2 to 3 hours

Exhibit:  Excellent

Souvenir shop:  Plenty of exhibit related souvenir options available, including t-shirts, sports caps, rosaries, mugs, jewelry, and toys

Catalog:  500-page full color and Spanish language supplement

Number of visits: One (Ft. Lauderdale exhibit)

Would you visit the exhibit again /recommend it :  Yes

Date of visit:  August 2003

Cost:   Tickets $18.50 and up for adults depending on the museum

Advantages:    Largest collection (370 pieces) of Vatican art and objects exhibited in North America during a four-city, 18-month tour. Requiring 15,000 square feet of exhibit space the collection includes many objects that have never left the Vatican or been on public display. Among the items in the collection are little known pieces by Giotto, Michelangelo and Bernini. It illustrates the Vatican's impact on history over the past 2,000 years. The use of light, background posters, photos and decorative mock-ups of St. Peter's tomb and the scaffolding of the Sistine Chapel provide visitors a feel for the relevance and role of the diverse items divided into 12 galleries.

Challenges:   The exhibit represents a small portion of the vast and significant Vatican collection. Those wishing to see the Vatican collection should consider a trip to the Holy See. Anyone expecting to see a miniature representation of the many fabulous works of art of the Vatican collection may be disappointed.

Other:   The oversight of Vatican staff such as Monsignor Roberto Zagnoli, Curator of Vatican Museums and Father Allen Duston, O.P., International Director of the Office of the Patrons of the Arts in the Vatican Museums influence the display design and the historical accuracy of the exhibit. The Vatican's vision, in the words of the monsignor, is for the exhibit to open the doors of the Vatican to America.

Vatican collection online: Official Vatican website features some additional works of art online at www.vatican.va