Highlights from the cultural world of Rome
from Nikolas Möller
Ancient Rome can be explored in many different ways. A new option has been available since mid-January 2024 at the Museo della Forma Urbis in the Parco archeologico del Celio. The "Forma urbis" is a unique, albeit unfortunately only partially preserved, graphic representation of the city of Rome. Although fragmented, it is nevertheless an important testimony to the topography of the city and its reconstruction.
Nikolas Möller points out that there is also an old plan of Rome on the 4th floor of the German Archaeological Institute, the one by Leonardo Bufalini from 1551, and asks: Could the church "D. Maria" in the Neronian circus be the church of S. Maria della Pietà in the Campo Santo Teutonico?
The theological course of Würzburg regularly organises a study trip to Rome with a rich ecclesiastical and cultural programme. This time, 40 participants once again travelled with the director Stefan Meyer-Ahlen and were introduced to the beginnings of Christian history and the beauty of the churches in Rome by Dr Andreas Raub and the director of the RIGG, among others. Copyright of the photo: Theologie im Fernkurs
On Wednesday, 21 February, a study day on the Vatican liturgical reform will take place at the Pontifical University of S. Croce.
The city map of Rome by Giovan Battista Nolli from 1748 - it hangs on the first floor of the German Archaeological Institute - shows the Campo Santo Teutonico differently than it is today. At no. 1272 you can see the former oratory, which was located where Pope Benedict XVI's auditorium is today and where the Görres Lectures take place.
Prof. Dr. Johannes Grohe, Vice-Director of the RIGG, will celebrate his 70th birthday in a month's time and return to Germany from Rome in the autumn after 27 years of beneficial work as Professor of Medieval Church History at the Pontifical University of Santa Croce.
The German Archaeological Institute in Rome, which has continued its operations in various emergency shelters over the past 10 years, has recently been able to move back into its old headquarters in Via Sardegna in the Ludovisi district. The opening ceremony took place on 6 February.
The canon lawyer Dr Matthias Ambros from the diocese of Passau, member of the RIGG and lecturer at the Gregoriana, is the new Undersecretary in the Dicastery for Culture and Education of the Holy See. He works under the Portuguese Cardinal Mendonca de Tolentino, who is currently carrying out the reorganisation of the papal academic institutions.
Dott. Pietro Zander from the St. Peter's Cathedral Building Workshop, who knows more about the current and historical history of St. Peter's Basilica than anyone else, will give a lecture on 27 January at 5 pm at the Pontifical Institute for Christian Archaeology on the topic of "Nuova luce sulla necropoli vaticana sotto San Pietro. I restauri recenti".
There is no end to the celebrations in Rome. On 22-23 January, a conference will be held in the Vatican Museums to mark the 200th anniversary of the death of Ercole Consalvi (1757-1824). It is being organised by the Pontifical Committee for Historical Sciences, which is now under the direction of Marek Inglot SJ.
Römisches Institut der Görres-Gesellschaft
