Creativity, courage, tenderness: Women in art of the Vatican Museums

By Paolo Ondarza

Mary Magdalene, Helen, Catherine of Siena, Scholastica, and, first and foremost, the Virgin Mary.

These are women who have put the creativity inherent in female genius at the service of the Lord and their neighbors.

Each of them features in a special tour being offered by the Vatican Museums to visitors on International Women's Day.

The themed guided tour is being organized today, March 7, and tomorrow, March 8, for the second consecutive year.

Sister Emanuela Edwards is the organiser: "The initiative was very successful; there were numerous visitors in 2023, and we decided to offer the route again. This time we chose to concentrate on the 'creative vision' and that 'tender heart' that Pope Francis, on several occasions, has identified as a uniquely female prerogative."

Michelangelo Buonarroti, Giudizio Finale, Cappella Sistina © Musei Vaticani

Mary, the perfection of all female virtues

These are two characteristics that call to women of every era and which the figures of the saints have embodied throughout history.

Women who, in their daily lives offered to God, have left an indelible mark. The Madonna is "the perfection of all female virtues", and a "special place" is dedicated to her on this itinerary. She is the one who intercedes next to Christ, the judge of the Last Judgment by Michelangelo, a sweet and courageous Mother in the famous Annunciations and Flight into Egypt by Federico Barocci.

Federico Barocci, L'Annunciazione, olio su tela, 1582-84 © Musei Vaticani

The dignity restored to the Samaritan Woman

"The first missionary of the New Testament," continues Sister Emanuela Edwards, is the Samaritan at the well, portrayed by Francesco Trevisani in the 17th century in a work that "highlights the dignity the Lord gives to a woman living on the fringes of society. Jesus redeems her by revealing that He is the awaited Messiah."

F. Trevisani, Cristo e la Samaritana al pozzo, © Musei Vaticani

Mary Magdalene and the most important news of all time

"The creative and tender heart of holy women is a trait they share: Mary Magdalene, for example, became the Apostle to the Apostles, a unique and exclusive role." She is the one who is sent.

"To this woman, the Lord entrusted the task of announcing His Resurrection, the most important news of all time. She earned this honor because her heart was full of love, and on the dawn of Easter, she ran to the tomb to give a dignified burial to the body of her Lord, and there she received the gift of meeting the Risen One first."

Cenni di Francesco; scomparto di predella: Storie di Maria Maddalena, "Noli me tangere"; tempera e oro su tavola; 1370-1375 © Musei Vaticani

The primacy of Helen

"She can be compared to the first archaeologist of the Church."

Saint Helen, mother of Emperor Constantine who granted freedom of worship to Christians.

"A real first!" observes the nun. "It was she, despite her advanced age, who went to the Holy Land and ordered the excavations on Calvary, which led to the discovery of the Cross on which Jesus died."

P. Veronese, La Visione di Sant'Elena, olio su tela, 1580 ca., Pinacoteca Vaticana, © Musei Vaticani

Catherine and the return of the Pope to Rome

Tenacity and advisory skills are aspects of Saint Catherine of Siena's character.

"Without knowing how to write, she became one of the most important writers of the Middle Ages," adds Sr Emanuela: "she forcefully called on the rulers of the time to encourage the Pope to end the Avignon exile and return to Rome."

Scuola Fiorentina sec. XV, Scomparto di predella: Santa Caterina libera dal demonio la giovane Lorenza, © Musei Vaticani

Making the world beautiful

"I believe that these holy women are examples that teach us to always use our creative inspiration in every circumstance to pursue the good of the family, the Church, and the world."

"A woman," concludes Sister Emanuela, "should always dare to be herself, because this allows her to fulfill the special task the Lord has assigned her in life. A woman should never be discouraged by her situation but use her creativity and female genius to make the world beautiful, as Pope Francis says."

Cola dell'Amatrice, Trittico con Santa Maddalena e Santa Scolastica © Musei Vaticani

International Women's Day offerings

The visit, available in Italian and English, is open to everyone: from families with children to people with sensory, motor, and intellectual disabilities (email accessibilita.musei@scv.va).

It's a way to celebrate Women's Day through beauty, and one of the Vatican Museums' many initiatives for the occasion: others include the promotional rate of 8 euros for female visitors to the Museum Complex of Castel Gandolfo, to access the Papal Palace or the Historical Collections on Friday 8, Saturday 9, and Sunday 10 March.