Harvard University, Massachusetts General Hospital, the Museum of Fine Arts, and other nonprofit colleges, hospitals, and cultural institutions are indispensable to Boston's identity as a world-class city. But, when it comes to city finances, there's a huge downside.
The proliferation of tax-exempt institutions in Boston — at least nearly 50 in all — leaves a smaller share of taxpayers, such as homeowners and businesses, to pay the tax burden — all the while nonprofits continue to benefit from city services.
BOSTON – The Swiss Guard, sworn defenders of the Pope, have long been a focus of public fascination, with many tourists in Rome stopping to take a photo with the stoic men in their trademark colorful uniforms. Beginning next week, and continuing into March, Bostonians will have an opportunity to learn more about this unique order of men, the history of their alliance with the Vatican, and their current duties in Rome.
Starting on Saturday in Boston's historic Faneuil Hall, the New England chapter of the Patron of The Arts in The Vatican Museums will host an exhibit titled "The Life of a Swiss Guard: Private View." Free to the public, the exhibit will feature paraphernalia of the elite corps, passed down through generations of its members, as well as a display of photographs by Fabio Mantegna.
