The Sistine Chapel Experience partner Gary Lucchesi has received the prestigious Ordine al Merito del Lavoro award from the President of the Government of the Italian Republic. He is the first American to receive this award since Lee Iacocca

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Nov 14, 2025, 11:37 ET

Gary Lucchesi and his production partner James Youner were a central figure in enabling the Sistine Chapel Experience, a 25,000 sq ft breathtaking exhibit with artifacts and a digital recreation of Michelangelo's frescoes in striking detail alongside the extraordinary works of Botticelli, Perugino, Ghirlandaio, Pinturicchio, Rosselli, and Signorelli.
Lucchesi has had an extraordinary career in Hollywood where he produced the film Cats, Million Dollar Baby, The Unferworld series, the Vatican Taps and many more. Gary served as an executive at the William Morris Agency, Paramount Pictures, and Morgan Freeman's Revelations Entertainment.
Global Experiences, Producer is headquartered in Austin and will be the first city in America to host the groundbreaking Sistine Chapel experience, cementing Texas as a cultural gateway for international art.

AUSTIN, Texas, Nov. 14, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- The Sistine Chapel Experience announced that one of its partners, producer Gary Lucchesi, received the prestigious Ordine al Merito del Lavoro award from the President of the Government of the Italian Republic on November 12, 2025.

Gary Lucchesi becomes the first American to receive the prestigious Ordine al Merito del Lavoro award since Lee Iacocca.

The Sistine Chapel Experience, which premieres in Austin Texas in November, will allow visitors to step inside a breathtaking digital recreation of Michelangelo's frescoes, offering a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to witness Renaissance art in striking detail. It is a collaboration between the Vatican Museums, Scripta Maneant, and Sistine Chapel Exhibits, LLC.

Lucchesi is also a partner and producer at Revelations Entertainment in Hollywood, an independent movie production company founded by actor Morgan Freeman and business partner Lori McCreary in 1996. Lucchesi began his career at The William Morris Agency as an agent, representing such artists as Susan Sarandon, Kevin Costner, Michelle Pfeiffer and John Malkovich.

The prestigious Order of Merit for Labor (Italian: Ordine al Merito del Lavoro) that Lucchesi will receive is an Italian knighthood that was founded in 1923 by King Vittorio Emanuele III. It is awarded by the Italian Republic to those "who have been singularly meritorious" in industry and commerce. As a member of the order, Lucchesi will receive the honor from the President of the Italian Republic and may thereafter use the title Cavaliere del Lavoro.

Said Penn Parish, principal of Global Experiences which is presenting the Sistine Chapel Experience: "The involvement of Gary Lucchesi has been vital to making our presentation of Michaelangelo's extraordinary Sistine Chapel paintings possible. He has been active throughout, making sure that our event becomes a life-changing experience for all who enter. Gary's lifetime commitment to his Italian Catholic heritage has been evident throughout his illustrious career in Hollywood. Gary is a welcome 'force multiplier' for our efforts in Austin and other cities that will be displaying the Sistine Chapel Experience this year and next."

Spanning nearly 25,000 square feet, the experience immerses audiences in Michelangelo's ceiling frescoes, The Last Judgment, The Creation of Adam, and sixteen biblical scenes, alongside the extraordinary works of Botticelli, Perugino, Ghirlandaio, Pinturicchio, Rosselli, and Signorelli.

Gary Lucchesi has held executive suite positions at TriStar Pictures, Paramount Pictures, Lakeshore Entertainment and was President of Andrew Lloyd Webber's Really Useful Film Co., producing the film version of Cats. He is a past president of The Producers Guild of America.

Lucchesi graduated from Sacred Heart Cathedral Preparatory in San Francisco in 1973 before attending UCLA. He graduated with a degree in history in 1977.

About the Project
The Sistine Chapel Experience is a multi million dollar collaboration between the Vatican Museums, Scripta Maneant, and Sistine Chapel Exhibits, LLC. The project combines cultural preservation with digital innovation to bring the genius of Michelangelo and his contemporaries to audiences across the globe. It is technologially, photographically and captivating than previous attempts to show the Sistine Chapel art in an exhibit.

For event details, tickets, and partnership inquiries, visit www.sistineexperience.com.

Exhibition Details

Dates: Opens November 26, 2025
Location: Barton Creek Square Mall, 2901 S. Capital of Texas Hwy, Austin, TX 78746 (Old Sears Building S. Entrance)
Hours: Wednesday–Sunday, 11 a.m.–7 p.m. (last entry 7 p.m.)
Tickets: sistineexperience.com
Duration: 50–90 minutes
Accessibility: Fully ADA compliant; all ages welcome