The Vatican Apostolic Library has joined forces with Dior to present the exhibition "En route," an exploration of the theme of travel in the 19th century. This unprecedented collaboration between a religious institution and a fashion house highlights the intersection between historical heritage and contemporary art.
An exhibition celebrating travel
The exhibition "En route" is open to the public from February 15 to December 20, 2025. It offers an immersive journey through previously unseen documents illustrating the travels of Cesare Poma (1862-1932), an Italian diplomat who assembled a vast collection of newspapers from the most remote regions of the world. These periodicals offer a valuable insight into the explorations of the time, combining journalistic, cultural, and diplomatic accounts.
Maria Grazia Chiuri, creative director of Dior's women's collections, is actively involved in this exhibition. She has designed an installation in collaboration with the Chanakya School of Craft in India, highlighting the link between fashion and travel. Her work pays tribute to six pioneering women of the 19th century—Annie Londonderry, Elizabeth Bisland, Nellie Bly, Gertrude Bell, Agnes Smith Lewis, and Margaret Dunlop Gibson—who challenged the social conventions of their time by undertaking journeys around the world. Chiuri emphasizes that these adventurers had to adapt their wardrobes to facilitate their travels, notably by abandoning corsets in favor of more functional outfits.
A dialogue between past and present
The exhibition "On the Road" is part of a series of initiatives aimed at creating a dialogue between the rich heritage of the Vatican Library and contemporary art. Alongside Maria Grazia Chiuri, Italian artist Jovanotti and Icelandic illustrator Kristjana S. Williams bring their unique perspectives on the theme of travel. Jovanotti presents a bicycle symbolizing his own journeys around the world, as well as a mirror ball transformed into a globe, evoking the festive and universal dimension of travel.
The exhibition is open to visitors with mandatory online reservations from February 15 to December 20, 2025, in the Kerkorian and Barberini rooms and adjacent areas of the Vatican Apostolic Library. Visitors are invited to explore this journey that combines historical documents and contemporary works, offering a profound reflection on travel as a universal human experience.