A Century of the Popemobile on Display at the Vatican Museums

A Century of Popemobiles on Display at the Vatican Museums

India Iammancini - Vatican City

A century of history, apostolic journeys, and technological progress in the service of the Church. They are at the center of One Century of the Popemobile, an exhibition set up at the Vatican Museums to celebrate a centenary of mobility made by Mercedes-Benz. The itinerary ideally joins tradition and modernity, telling of a significant transition: from the early nineteenth-century carriage, which expressed the solemnity and majesty of the papacy, to the saloon cars that have accompanied the Pontiff.

A Pastoral Function

The popemobile, in fact, is the product of the very way the Holy Father relates to the community. This was explained at the opening conference, on Wednesday, October 28, by Sandro Barbagallo, curator of the Historical Collections of the Vatican Museums. Its function, he specified, is deeply pastoral: "To enable the Pope, along the streets, to greet and at the same time bless, drawing close to the faithful."

"The automobile, born to enable movement," writes Barbara Jatta, director of the Pontifical Collections, in the exhibition catalogue, "thus becomes also a space of encounter, an instrument through which the Pontiff can show himself, greet, bless, and establish an immediate relationship with those who gather along his path."

"It is a fine span of time to present, and it is the story of how we create mobility for the present, the past, and the future," declared Marcus Breitschwerdt, head of Mercedes Heritage.

An Ethical Responsibility

From Mercedes leadership it emerged that creating a vehicle intended for the Vatican involves an exceptional technological effort in terms of comfort and protection, but above all a very great ethical responsibility. Indeed, as Langenbrinck pointed out, Mercedes does not only carry the Pope to his destination but, in a certain sense, brings him into the homes of "the entire Christian community."

This responsibility is also reflected in the care given to the historic vehicles. In Stuttgart, in what Breitschwerdt calls the "sacred halls" where the popemobiles are kept, respect for these vehicles goes hand in hand with absolute strictness: no one may sit in the seat reserved for the Pope.

Historical Memory

The exhibition carries the value of historical memory. This was recalled by ANSA director Luigi Contu, who explained how, thanks to the archive of the news agency, founded in 1945, it has been possible to reconstruct a century of news. If Mercedes guarantees the physical protection and safety of the Pontiff during his travels, ANSA, he explained, acts as a representative of safety, protection, and the verification of the news that tells the story of the Church and of the world.

At the Origins of the Relationship

The exhibition set up at the Vatican Museums from October 28 is not a simple automobile display, but the testimony of a spiritual and cultural journey. To understand this evolution, we must go back to 1886, when engineer Carl Benz patented the Patent-Motorwagen, the first automobile in history. The link with the Vatican officially took shape only in 1930 with the Nürnburg 460. Not just any car, but a Pullman limousine designed for Pope Pius XI, whose interiors were made with precious silk brocade fabrics, carefully chosen woods and metals, and a decorated roof, to reflect the solemnity of his role.

The Pope Comes Down Among the People

The real turning point in the relationship with the faithful came in the 1960s. In 1960, Pope John XXIII was delivered the 300 d Landaulet, a car equipped with removable rear side windows. A detail that anticipated a change: the automobile no longer had only to carry the Pontiff, but to allow him to engage with those he met along his route.

In 1965, in fact, following the historic return of Pope Paul VI from his 1964 pilgrimage to the Holy Land, needs changed. A vehicle was required that would suit a more direct and warm relationship with the public, in harmony with the broad, global scope of apostolic journeys. Thus was born the 600 Pullman Landaulet with a raised roof and a folding hood that allowed the Pope to show himself to the crowd in an open car. To complete that period, in 1967, came the imposing Mercedes-Benz 300 SEL Pullman with six seats, designed to welcome and escort distinguished guests visiting the Vatican.

The Modern Idea of the Popemobile

In the 1980s, the official birth of the true "popemobile" arrived. On the occasion of John Paul II's visit to Germany in 1980, Mercedes-Benz developed the 230 G. The innovation was a high transparent dome at the rear, the ideal solution for protecting the Pope's safety while guaranteeing total visibility before millions of faithful.

Alongside the G-Class, which became in the collective imagination the emblem of John Paul II's popemobile, Mercedes also produced a representative saloon. In 1997, an S 500 Landaulet was delivered to the Vatican, equipped with a hydro-electrically operated hood and a spacious rear seat, designed to ensure maximum comfort for the Pontiff.

The New Millennium

With the arrival of the 2000s, the style adapted to the times and shifted to SUVs: in 2002, the ML 430 debuted amid the enthusiasm of young people at World Youth Day in Toronto, featuring a transparent dome designed in a more fluid and harmonious way. This evolution was perfected in 2012 with the ML 500 for Benedict XVI, characterized by larger and brighter glass panels, lightening, at least perceptually, the separation from the outside space.

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