An outpouring of warmth, faith and popular tradition surrounds the great Christmas tree placed at the center of the Courtyard of the Apostolic Palace in Castel Gandolfo. Hand-modeled terracotta figures recall the birth of Jesus. It is a Mexican nativity scene, with an essential number of characters: the Child, Mary, Joseph, the three Magi, a shepherd, and an angel. They have simple yet highly expressive forms: faces absorbed in contemplation of the mystery, all leaning toward the manger surrounded by the ox and the donkey.

On Friday, October 31, as part of the Jubilee celebrations, the Vatican Observatory, in collaboration with Johns Hopkins University and the Space Telescope Science Institute (STScI), presented two special events dedicated to the beauty and mystery of the universe.

“In Defense of the Pope. A Collection of Helmets from the 16th and 17th Centuries,” curated by Sandro Barbagallo with the collaboration of Marco Iuffrida, and the display of the celebrated tapestry Conversion of Saint Paul. These are the two initiatives inaugurated on Saturday, 18 October, at the Apostolic Palace of Castel Gandolfo. Among those present were Andrea Tamburelli, Director of the Pontifical Villas, and Barbara Jatta, Director of Vatican Museums and Cultural Heritage.

The exhibition “In Difesa del Papa” [In Defense of the Pope] for the first time presents to the public an exclusive collection of original military helmets and protective equipment from the Vatican Museums History Collections. These are extraordinary artifacts that recount the history of safeguarding the Pontiff in the early modern period. Visitors will be able to admire at close range morions, skullcaps, burgonets, cavalry helmets, and mail pouches—often undisclosed objects that once belonged to papal troops between the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. The exhibition layout guides the public through an immersive journey among art, power and faith, highlighting the commitment and courage of those who ensured the defense of the Pope and the territories of the Papal States in eras marked by conflict, political change and religious tension. With a meticulously detailed setting, the exhibition offers an opportunity to reflect on the meaning of protection, understood not only as material defense but also as a spiritual and symbolic act, safeguarding a mission that spans the centuries.

Furthermore, for the next six months, the Hall of the Popes will host the magnificent Flemish tapestry Conversion of Saint Paul, a masterpiece woven in wool and silver threads, preserved in the Tapestries and Textiles Department of the Vatican Museums under the direction of Alessandra Rodolfo. The tapestry is part of the series inspired by the Acts of the Apostles and derives from cartoons by Raphael Sanzio, executed on commission from Pope Leo X to embellish the Sistine Chapel on major liturgical occasions. In the weave, the first of the Pauline cycle of tapestries, the moment is depicted when Saul, struck down to the ground, hears the voice of Jesus appearing among the clouds and radiating the divine light leading to a profound spiritual metamorphosis. In the foreground emerges the sword, the distinctive symbol of the future apostle and a sign of his ultimate martyrdom: from persecutor of Christians to defender of the faith, from soldier to martyr, on the path that will transform him into Saint Paul, Apostle of the Gentiles.

Military history in defense of the Papacy  

For the Jubilee Year 2025, the Directorate of Museums and Cultural Heritage, in collaboration with the Directorate of the Pontifical Villas, is presenting an extraordinary exhibition entitled “In Difesa del Papa.” [In Defense of the Pope]