Pope Francis is set to attend the Venice Biennale on Sunday and meet with around 80 inmates of a women's prison on Giudecca, an island in the Venetian lagoon.
The Holy See set up the Vatican Pavilion at the Biennale, one of the most prestigious events on the art world's calendar, inside the prison.
This will be the first time that a pope has attended the major exhibition of contemporary art, which attracts hundreds of thousands of visitors from all over the world every two years. The 60th edition opened on April 20 and runs until November 24.
The works of art on display in the Vatican Pavilion were created in dialogue with the imprisoned women. Entitled "With My Eyes," the pavilion focuses on the themes of human rights and people on the margins of society, Vatican News reported.
Anyone wishing to visit it must register via a website; four groups of 25 people are admitted each day.
The 87-year-old pontiff will fly from Rome to Venice by helicopter in the morning. After visiting the prison, he will take a motorboat to the main island of the lagoon city. There he will first meet with young people and then celebrate a Mass on St Mark's Square.