If you don’t have the itch to go to Rome…this might do it. Elizabeth Lev’s enticing description of the exhibit on the construction of the "new" St. Peter’s, begun (at least on paper) in 1506.

Near the entrance, the first object on display is the astounding walk-in model of St. Peter’s dome designed by Michelangelo from 1559-61. It is about 15 feet high and represents the dome cut in half. It captures and thrills the visitor from the threshold of the show and provides a glimpse into the excitement aroused by this project that propelled the work through thick and thin for over a century.

The show itself is broken up into three parts — the construction, the presence of St. Peter, and the saints the basilica has inspired. It seems appropriate that the discussion of the show follow the same pattern.

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"Peter, do you love me?" Archbishop Angelo Comastri’s address during the inauguration of the "Petros Eni" exhibit quoted this question Christ asked St. Peter three times. Last Tuesday, Archbishop Comastri was appointed the archpriest of St. Peter’s Basilica and after his rousing and often moving talk at the opening, there can be no doubt why.

The archbishop spoke of St. Peter’s profession of love even unto his crucifixion which took place almost 2,000 years ago just a few feet from the exhibition space.

The second part of the exhibit revolves around St. Peter as the fulcrum of this great church. Dominated by three exceptional paintings, this section invites viewers to reflect on the origins of the church, a simple hole in the ground where the body of St. Peter was deposited after the first of what would be many Christian persecutions.

El Greco’s intense canvas of "Peter Penitent" is the first work on display and reveals the apostle alone and weeping after having denied Christ. Next, the powerful Caravaggio work, "The Crucifixion of St. Peter," confronts viewers showing the aged, yet rugged apostle doggedly accepting death just as he stubbornly followed Jesus in life. Caravaggio’s light effects highlight the sense of mission in Peter’s martyrdom; eager to prove his love of Christ, the apostle seems to clasp the nail driven through his hand.

In the wake of these dramatic canvases, it would be easy to overlook the little Rembrandt treasure of "St. Peter in Prison." This small oil painting presents a touching vision of Peter, old and weak, praying in his prison cell. The warm light that bathes Peter’s wrinkled face and hands helps us to understand the solace that God’s love brings to him.

The most extraordinary object in this part of the show is also the humblest. At first glance it appears as a tiny piece of painted plaster, scratched with ancient graffiti. But a closer look reveals the words "Petros eni," Peter is within. Poor, humble and broken like St. Peter’s body, this fragment on an ancient buttressing wall brought 20th-century excavators to the grave of the Prince of the Apostles.