If Pope Francis is feeling a bit homesick these days, he need only go downstairs to St. Peter's Square.The Vatican on Friday opened an exhibit on Argentine gauchos, the legendary horsemen of the pampas — a show that's been years in the works and coincidentally opened under the first Argentine pope.
Officials weren't sure when Francis might swing by "The Gaucho: Tradition, Art and Faith," which opened in an exhibition space underneath the piazza's colonnade.
But if he goes, he'll find antique silver straws and mate gourds — containers for Argentina's traditional herbal tea — saddles and stirrups, ponchos, documents and a host of gaucho-inspired artwork.
The exhibit also highlights ties between Italy and Argentina, which received waves of Italian immigrants — Francis' ancestors included — over the years.