6. Cultural participation and consumption
Holy See
Last update: November, 2017
For some years now, the last Sunday of each month has been a free-entry day for the Vatican Museums. There are also facilities for student groups and longer opening hours for the museums thanks to recent changes.
The link between culture, development of civil society, and social cohesion has been highlighted by successive popes. However there is no explicit link between this essential message and the Holy See's or Vatican City State's cultural policy.
Last update: November, 2017
Given the special character of the Holy See, no figures are available for participation in cultural events, nor are there any surveys monitoring the participation of national minority groups. However, during the general weekly audiences and the Sunday Angelus held in Piazza San Pietro, the Sovereign Pontiff speaks to those present in seven languages plus interventions for special cultural groups. The number of people attending annually can exceed one million. Moreover, there is data concerning visits to the two cultural institutions of the Vatican Museums and St Peter's Basilica. The figures show a continuous increase in visitors.
The average number of visitors to St Peter's Basilica in 1999 was estimated at 10 000 a day, while in 2000 an average of 20 000 visitors was recorded. There were 1 900 000 visitors to the dome of St Peter's in 1998, 870 000 in 1999 and 1 100 000 in 2000.
In 2004, there were 50 817 visitors to the excavations of the Vatican Necropolis under the Basilica, with an increase of 6 472 people, equal to 12.07% compared to 2003. (Source: Attività della Santa Sede 2004).
In 2008, the Vatican Museums had a total of 4 441 734 visitors, in comparison to 4 310 083 visitors in 2007. This means a consolidation in the number of visitors. The daily average was 20 000 during the height of the tourist season.
Please find the available information on this subject in 6.2.
Last update: November, 2017
Amateur arts and folk culture
There are no non-profit cultural associations of artists in the Vatican City.
Cultural houses and community cultural clubs
The Pontifical Council for Culture has carried out a census of Catholic Cultural Centres throughout the world. The wealth and variety of the institutions listed under the title "Catholic Cultural Centre" can be seen not only in the range of titles (cultural centres or circles, academies, university institutions, training colleges) and their particular fields (theological, scientific, educational, artistic, etc.), but also in their activities (conferences, debates, courses, seminars, publications, libraries, cultural displays, exhibitions, etc.), together with their particular orientation (values, cultural trends, intercultural and interreligious dialogue, sciences, arts, etc.). As centres where faith and culture can meet, they reflect the variety of situations found in each country. They may be Church institutions (parish, diocese, bishops' conference, religious order or other Church structures) or private initiatives of Catholics in communion with the Universal Church. Despite their wide variety, they share the same concern for the meeting of faith and culture through living dialogue, scientific research and in-depth training.
A register of Catholic Cultural Centres was started in 1995, logging a regular increase of about 1.2% each year in the number of applications received by the Pontifical Council for Culture to be included in the updated international yearbook. The fourth edition (Vatican 2005) of this Guide registers 1 300 Centres.