Purchases at the Vatican bookshop

Yesterday, after lunch with Fr Patrick Burke, I went for my visit to St Peter's to get the plenary indulgence. On the way, in the San Carlo arm of the colonnade, I called in to a temporary exhibition on the 500th anniversary of the Swiss Guard. It is well worth a visit. There is a film showing but that lasts an hour and 5 minutes so I bought the DVD to watch at home.

Then to the Vatican bookshop where I make a mental note of books to order from Pax Books when I get home. But I can never resist getting some books while I am here. So I have bought the foundational document for this blog - the Pope's address on the second Vatican Council 40 years on. I also got a copy of the Vatican edition of the Stations of the Cross. It has some beautiful pictures to illustrate the text. Slightly more off-beam, I bought a copy of the law governing the Roman Curia. So? Might come in useful.

The best thing I bought was "5000 Proverbi e Motti Latini" (5000 Latin mottoes and proverbs) gathered together by some enthusiastic Italian scholar who has translated them all into Italian and added source references and explanatory notes. Over 700 pages, it cost me 19 euros. Outstanding!

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