Pope Francis will visit Venice on April 28, his first trip outside Rome in seven months, which will be closely watched amid concerns about the 87-year-old pontiff's fragile health.
The Argentine pontiff has toured the world in his 11 years as head of the Catholic Church but has not travelled since his visit to the French city of Marseille in September.
In December he was forced to cancel a trip to Dubai, where he was due to speak at UN climate talks, because of a bout of bronchitis.
And in March, he pulled out of a last-minute Easter event after suffering for several weeks from what the Vatican called "mild flu."
In Venice, the pope's first stop will be a women's prison on the island of Giudecca, which houses the Vatican's exhibit for this year's Biennale art festival.
At the former women's convent, which now houses female inmates, Pope Francis - who has long defended the rights of people from marginalized groups - will meet some of the 80 inmates and visit the exhibition.
"Through My Eyes" is a fascinating exhibition that explores the daily lives of prisoners through the work of 10 different artists.
"This will be a historic moment because he will be the first Pope to visit the Venice Biennale," said the exhibition's chief curator, José Tolentino de Mendonca.
The visit "clearly demonstrates the Church's desire to strengthen the fruitful and close dialogue with the world of art and culture," he added. /BGNES
