PITTSBURGH (AP) – The Sen. John Heinz History Center in Pittsburgh will be the second United States venue to host a traveling exhibition of rarely seen art and artifacts from the Vatican.

“Vatican Splendors: A Journey through Faith and Art” will be at the museum from Oct. 2 through mid-January. The collection is now on display at the Missouri History Museum in St. Louis.

The exhibition is one of the largest collections of Vatican art, documents and historically significant objects ever to tour North America. Some of the items have never left the Vatican.

Highlights include artwork by Michelangelo, Guercino, and Bernini.

The exhibit also includes a bronze cast of the hand of Pope John Paul II that visitors will be encouraged to touch, as well as a jeweled chalice used by the late pope.

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On the Net: http://www.heinzhistorycenter.org

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AP-ES-06-15-10 0941EDT