(Vatican Radio) A two day conference marking the 20 th anniversary of the restoration of Michelangelo’s frescos in the Sistine Chapel opened on Thursday in Rome.
The event organised by the Vatican Museums is entitled “The Sistine Chapel 20 years later: New breath, new light.”
The conference will examine the current state of frescoes, as well as new methods being taken to protect the priceless artistic treasure.
On Wednesday evening in the Sistine Chapel the world’s media was invited to view the new lighting and air systems that have been installed, in order show the frescos off to their best advantage and protect the Chapel against humidity.
Lydia O’Kane was in the Sistine Chapel to see the result and spoke to Michel Grabon, Director of AdvanTE3C SC, Carrier HVAC Europe. Listen
According to the Director of the Vatican Museums the new lighting system is meant to provide a gentle but total illumination to the frescos but at the same time is non-invasive thus respecting the stylistic and historic reality of the Sistine Chapel.
The US-based company CARRIER has provided a state-of-the-art heating, ventilating and air-conditioning (HVAC) system for the Chapel, specially designed to address the challenges of protecting Michelangelo’s masterpieces against deterioration.
“…the system was extremely advanced, advanced in the sense that we have applied very very advanced technology, we have invented some of the technology to be able to fulfill very very complex requirements”, said Michel Grabon, Director of AdvanTE3C SC, Carrier HVAC Europe, who was in the Sistine Chapel on Wednesday evening and who worked on the project.
He went on to stress the importance on maintaining stable operating conditions inside the Chapel. “You can have 100 people, 2000 people inside, you know in a few minutes it can change, so it is extremely important to be able to respond to the change of the load in a very very quick time.”
(from Vatican Radio)…
(Vatican Radio) The Vatican and the Italian Ministry of Defense on Wednesday afternoon signed a memorandum of understanding establishing a plan of cooperation to enhance the values of sports as a “cultural and educational phenomenon.”
The President of the Pontifical Council for Culture, Cardinal Gianfranco Ravasi, and the Italian Defense Minister, Roberta Pinotti, signed the agreement at the Italian Embassy to the Holy See.
The agreement recognizes the value of sports for civil society, in terms of health, integration of young people from different cultural and geographic backgrounds, and social inclusion.
“The defense world has always had strong bonds with the sports world,” said Minister Pinotti, noting the role played by military athletes in promoting the growth of sport in Italy in general. She also mentioned the role played by the military in establishing sports for those with disabilities.
The agreement calls on the Defense Ministry and the Pontifical Council for Culture to collaborate in the use of facilities and personnel for joint initiatives aimed at promoting and preserving the true nature of sport, which focuses on the value of the human person.
(from Vatican Radio)…
(Vatican Radio) A two day conference marking the 20th anniversary of the restoration of Michelangelo’s frescos in the Sistine Chapel opened on Thursday in Rome. The event organised by the Vatican Museums is entitled “The Sistine Chapel 20 years later: New breath, new light.” The conference will examine the current state of frescoes, as well…
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(Vatican Radio) The Vatican and the Italian Ministry of Defense on Wednesday afternoon signed a memorandum of understanding establishing a plan of cooperation to enhance the values of sports as a “cultural and educational phenomenon.” The President of the Pontifical Council for Culture, Cardinal Gianfranco Ravasi, and the Italian Defense Minister, Roberta Pinotti, signed the…
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(Vatican Radio) Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI has sent a message to the Personal Ordinariate of Our Lady of Walsingham, which was established for former Anglicans in England in 2011. The message was on the fifth anniversary of Pope Benedict’s apostolic constitution Anglicanorum Coetibus, which was released on November 4th 2009.
The Pope Emeritus was responding to a letter he received from Nicolas Ollivant, the chairman of the Friends of the Ordinariate, a charity set up to support the Ordinariate’s work.
Mr. Ollivant’s letter also included information on the Ordinariate’s central church in London, Our Lady of the Assumption and St Gregory, on Warwick Street. It is the site of the former chapel to the Bavarian embassy to England, which greatly pleased the Pope Emeritus.
The full text of the letter (translated into English on the Ordinariate’s website) is below
Since I know that you read the German language without difficulty, I may answer your friendly letter of 1 September in my mother tongue, since my English would not quite suffice to do so.
Your thanks for the establishment of the Personal Ordinariate of Our Lady of Walsingham has greatly moved me, and I ask you to convey my thanks to all its members. Naturally, I am particularly glad that the former Bavarian Chapel has now become your Ordinariate’s church, and serves such an important role in the whole Church of God. It has been a long time since I have heard news of this holy place, and it was therefore with all the more interest and gratitude that I read the description with which you accompanied your letter.
Once more, many thanks, and may God bless you all.
(from Vatican Radio)…