The opening of the Venice Biennale this May has brought a significant distinction to the legacy of Saint Hildegard of Bingen. For its official pavilion, the Holy See selected the 12th-century Benedictine mystic and Doctor of the Church as a primary source of inspiration. The project, dedicated to the Biennale's overarching theme, “The Minor Key”, was realised with the scholarly support of the St. Hildegard Academy and Sister Maura Zátonyi OSB, who serves as the Academy’s president.

The collaboration highlights the academic synergy between the Academy and the Pontifical Athenaeum of Sant’Anselmo in Rome. As a Professor of Medieval Theology and Philosophy at Sant’Anselmo, Sr. Maura brought her particular expertise in monastic thought to the Vatican’s project. Her advisory role helped ensure the theological grounding of the music installation’s conceptual realization and contributed to the curation and provision of bibliographical resources with an international scope.

Reflecting this deep engagement with the Benedictine tradition, the pavilion is structured in two distinct locations. In the "Giardino Mistico" at the Carmelite garden, visitors engage in a contemplative sound experience. Using headphones to navigate the space, guests hear contemporary musical interpretations of Saint Hildegard’s chants, some of which were recorded by Sr. Maura’s fellow sisters. This immersive installation, to which numerous world-renowned artists have contributed, encourages a "school of slowing down," echoing the monastic rhythm of attentive hearing.

The intellectual foundation of the exhibition is housed in the second location, the former church of S. Maria Ausiliatrice. Here, a dedicated scriptorium presents a comprehensive collection of Saint Hildegard’s works. The books on display were assembled based on the research conducted at the St. Hildegard Academy, featuring critical editions and international studies familiar to Sr. Maura from her daily work. These are complemented by short films by Alexander Kluge, which reinterpret the saint’s visions to offer new perceptions of reality.

The Academy’s involvement was formally acknowledged during the pavilion’s inauguration by Cardinal José Tolentino de Mendonça and curators Hans Ulrich Obrist and Ben Vickers. At the opening, the Patriarch of Venice further emphasised Saint Hildegard’s spiritual formation, noting how her life and message were fundamentally shaped by the Rule of Saint Benedict. For the Holy See, the motto "The Ear is the Eye of the Soul" serves as an invitation to the kind of spiritual listening central to the Benedictine charism.

While recent public demonstrations in Venice have occupied the news cycle, Sr. Maura observed that the opening of the Vatican Pavilion offered a counter-narrative of peace and beauty. The event served as a tribute to the work being done at Sant’Anselmo and the Academy, demonstrating the enduring relevance of medieval monastic wisdom when applied to contemporary artistic discourse.

The Venice Biennale remains open until November 2026. For members of the Confederation and the wider ecclesial community, the pavilion represents a significant moment where Benedictine scholarship informs the global cultural conversation. The success of the project underscores the importance of supporting the intellectual and visionary work of monastic scholars today.

Links

Benedictine Abbey of St. Hildegard |DE|
https://abtei-st-hildegard.de/

St Hildegard Academy Eibingen e.V. | EN | DE |
https://www.hildegard-akademie.de/en/

La Biennale di Venezia | EN | IT |
https://www.labiennale.org/en/art/2026

Vatican News IT
https://www.vaticannews.va/it/vaticano/news/2026-04/silenzio-e-contemplazione-al-centro-del-padiglione-della-santa-s.html

https://www.vaticannews.va/it/vaticano/news/2026-04/padiglione-santa-sede-biennale-venezia-2026-ascolto-arte-ildegar.html

https://www.vaticannews.va/it/vaticano/news/2026-05/biennale-venezia-patti-smith-inaugura-padiglione-santa-sede.html

https://www.vaticannews.va/it/vaticano/news/2026-05/bennale-venezia-arte-padiglione-santa-sede.html

Vatican News EN
https://www.vaticannews.va/en/vatican-city/news/2026-04/venice-biennale-holy-see-hildegard-of-bingen-silence-art-sound.html

https://www.vaticannews.va/en/vatican-city/news/2026-05/venice-biennale-dicastery-patti-smith-pavilion-ear-eye-soul.html

https://www.vaticannews.va/en/vatican-city/news/2026-05/holy-see-pavilion-venice-biennale-cardinal-de-mendoca-moraglia.html

Vatican News DE
https://www.vaticannews.va/de/vatikan/news/2026-05/venedig-ein-blick-auf-den-vatikan-pavillon-zu-hildegard-von-bin.html

Vogue IT
Il Padiglione della Santa Sede alla Biennale di Venezia 2026: un invito all'ascolto con FKA Twigs e Patti Smith | Vogue Italia

Kathpress |DE|
https://www.kathpress.at/goto/meldung/2576707/zur-biennale-holt-sich-der-vatikan-international-bekannte-kuenstler