Beauty at the service of local communities by PAOLO PEGORARO
T
raining as a means to deepen knowledge, for conservation and enhancement, constitutes the guiding principle of the courses offered by the National Office for Ecclesiastical Cultural Heritage and Religious Buildings of the Italian Bishop’s Conference (CEI) in collaboration with the Gregorian University Department of Cultural Heritage of the Church: practical, necessary courses at the service of local communities. “Academic training has an added value in terms of training methodology and faculty, offering invaluable support to professionals”, said Fr. Valerio Pennasso, director of the competent CEI Office. “Co-operation between professionals sharing the same objectives and sensitivities facilitates training and research efforts also in academia.” The Circular le er on The Pastoral Function of Ecclesiastical Museums (2001) mentions “a certain lack of ecclesiastical interest in the conservation and presentation of cultural assets.” Is ecclesiastical cultural
heritage now sufficiently recognised, protected and valued by the local communities? “The 2001 document evidenced a more conservative approach, with the risk of considering it only in terms of assets, while the focus today is chiefly on management and enhancement. The la er engages the pastoral and daily activity of the local communities spread throughout the country. The individual bond with sites and things intimately experienced emanates from faith and Christian love, identity and genius loci.” How many people occupy positions of responsibility in ecclesiastical cultural heritage sites? “As many as 297 museums are listed on the website www.beweb.chiesaca olica.it, 863 archives and 568 libraries, totalling 1728 cultural institutions. Each of these certainly has a director, but qualified executive directors account for about 25% of them. There are 628 professionals specialised in specific thematic areas, along with a smaller number of individual or affiliated volunteers, as well
A workshop for the Cataloghing course (Licentiate in Cultural Heritage of the Church, A.Y. 2018-2019). Photo
O. BUCARELLI - T. CASU
56 - 2020
| 17
