attualita

Franciscan manuscripts from the 13th century in an exclusive and unique exhibition in the United States

Presentation on November 13 at the Consulate of Italy, New York

“Friar Francis: Traces, Words and Images”. This is the title of an exhibition that will be held November 17-28 at the United Nations in New York. It is the first time that manuscripts of the 13th and 14th centuries and Papal Bulls relating to the Saint of Assisi will be shown at the headquarters of the United Nations. The exhibition consists of 19 artifacts from the Ancient Fund of the City Library of Assisi, part of the Library of the Sacred Convent in Assisi.

 The exclusive exhibition dedicated to Saint Francis will be presented on Thursday, November 13 at 9:30 a.m. at the Italian Consulate in New York, 690 Park Avenue, by, among others, Stefano Acunto, deputy honorary consul in New York, Monsignor Bernardito C. Auza, permanent observer of the Holy See to the United Nations, Father Enzo Fortunato, director of the press office of the Sacred Convent in Assisi, and Flavia de Sanctis, president of the Antiqua Cultural Association.

  The heart of the exhibition is the Codex 338, a collection of the first writings and documents relating to St. Francis and the order of the Friars Minor, containing The Canticle of the Creatures, considered the starting point of Italian literature. Each year some six million people visit the Basilica of St. Francis, about 40 percent of them Americans. This is proof that Franciscan spirituality has again become a reference point and model for many people, thanks, above all, to Pope Francis, who puts the message of the Saint of Assisi into practice. The exhibition allows the visitor to get to better know, appreciate and understand Francis of Assisi, who is known to the world as a man and saint of the people, of peace and fraternity.

The exhibition is divided into three sections. “Traces” includes documents that recount the historic journey of St Francis, “Words,” which contains ancient biographies of Francis, and “Images,” which include illuminated manuscripts depicting the saint in ancient liturgical books.

A conference on Francis and the exhibition will be held on the morning of November 17 at the Casa Italiana Zerilli-Marimò, 24 West 12^th Street, headquarters of the Italian department of New York University. Participants will include some of the most renowned international experts on Franciscan spirituality: Prof. Stefano Brufani of the University of Perugia, Prof. Felice Accrocca of the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome, Prof. Donal Cooper of the University of Warwick in the United Kingdom and Father Enzo Fortunato, director of the communications office of the Sacred Convent of Assisi.

 

Locations of the exhibition

 

The United Nations

1^st Ave and 46^th Street – New York

One B neck

November 17–28, 2014

 

Brooklyn Borough Hall

209 Joralemon Street - Brooklyn, NY 

December 2, 2014–January 14,  2015

 

Made possible by the support of:

The Office of the Prime Minister of Italy

The Embassy of Italy to the United States

The Consulate General of Italy, New York

The Umbria Regional Government, Italy

The Abruzzi Regional Government, Italy

The Pontifical Council of Culture, Vatican City

 

Organizers

Sacred Convent of St. Francis of Assisi

The City of Assisi

Antiqua Cultural Association, Avezzano, Italy

Italian Academy Foundation, Inc., New York

 

Additional help from The International Society of Franciscan Studies, Assisi, Italy.

 

 

INFO

www.sanfrancesco.org