o organise the exhibition in Paris, the usual team was able to draw on the help of many collaborators, in particular that of its two principle partners: the unstinting support and enthusiasm of Roger Serre, President of the IGS group, without whom nothing would have been possible; the groundwork of Jean Beucher, director, within the IGS group, of ISTEC; and the wholehearted involvement of Alain Casabona, General Secretary of C.N.E.A., and the members of his team.

o less precious were the support and the indispensable openings provided by Jean-Paul Delevoye, President of the Association of the Mayors of France, and of his personal private secretary, Jean-Philippe Pierre; and the multifarious support of the City Hall of Paris, in particular the remarkable job done by the technical staff under the direction of Michel Berné, who built all the decors.

he advice and the artwork of Jean-Luc Leguay, Gudrun Von Maltzan and Kim Moltzer, and of course, as usual the lighting realised by Pierrick Longuèvre.

he enthusiasm of Jean-Marie Burn, the general director of Figaro-Magazine, and of Henri-Christian Giraud, Editor in chief, who brought out a special edition which would be an editorial event. A reception team totally involved with the exhibition, who, under the leadership of the charismatic Chloé, also brought so much back to it.

hanks to the collaboration of the Sforzexco museum, and Mrs Paolini, at the Paris exhibition it was possible for the first time to include the Rondanini, and to present the gripping dialogue between the first and the very last of Michelangelo's Pieta.

his venue was also occasioned a rare encounter. Whilst studying the pland of the Sorbonne Chapel, Jean-Luc Leguay noticed that the architect, Jacques Lemercier, had built it entirely to "golden proportions". As the layout of the exhibition fitted naturally into these proportions, Michelangelo's work and the interior of the Chapel found themselves vibrating in perfect harmony.

n this occasion, Robert Hupka, who has followed the exhibition very closely, was in very poor health, particularly from his heart, and his doctors totally forbade him from travelling by air. As the exhibition entered its final days, however, they relented, saying: "If you go, you may very well not come back... but if you don't go, that will probably kill you anyway, so..."

hus was Robert Hupka able to share with us that night at Easter when the exhibition was open to the public until daybreak, and whole families crowded in, with an impressive reverence. A particularly emotional moment for him was the arrival, after the Easter vigil, of Monsignor Jean-Marie Lustiger, the archbishop of Paris.