Magna Carta Goes On Display In Boston

BOSTON (AP) — A rare copy of the Magna Carta, one of the pivotal documents of Western civilization, is on display at Boston's Museum of Fine Arts.

The museum has scheduled an official unveiling ceremony for Monday and the document will go on display to the public starting Tuesday and last until Sept. 1.

One of only four surviving copies of the original 1215 document, it is on loan from the Lincoln Cathedral in the United Kingdom.

The landmark document has served as a symbol of liberty and inspired the U.S. Constitution and Bill of Rights.

The exhibition also includes portraits, marble busts, and historical documents related to several of the Founding Fathers, presidents, and abolitionists, particularly from Massachusetts, who were inspired by the liberties enshrined in Magna Carta.

Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

MORE LOCAL NEWS FROM CBS BOSTON