The Foundation La Gregoriana was established in 2001 to celebrate the 450th anniversary of the establishment of the Roman College. In 2023, on the occasion of the imminent anniversary of the restitution of the College to the Society of Jesus in 1824, it was established as a third sector organisation and opened up to a new season of cultural initiatives.
«By establishing the Foundation La Gregoriana to an third sector organisation, it can become more interested in promoting cultural initiatives tied to the overall vision of the Gregorian University», explains Fr. Mark Lewis, Rector of the Gregorian University and President of the Foundation. «Eventually it will be able to promote and develop resources that could help promote its various missions».
The activities promoted by the Foundation - such as exhibitions, educational activities, training courses, creation of institutional chairs, research projects, seminars and conferences at the Gregorian University - are in favor of the education of young people and scientific dissemination to the community. The Foundation also pursues solidarity and social utility objectives in the promotion of culture, protection, conservation and valorisation and increase of assets of artistic, historical, bibliographic, archival interest and cultural heritage, in favor of teachers and students, especially those in conditions of social and/or economic disadvantage.
The first event promoted by the Foundation will take place on December 5th, at 3 pm, and will be dedicated to the presentation of the research, restoration and training activities carried out on the manuscript heritage of the Roman College over the course of a decade. These activities are conducted by the Historical Archive of the Pontifical Gregorian University, the "silent witness" of a precious, complex and fragile history. The conservation activities of the Archive Restoration Laboratory will be illustrated, training courses on ancient and modern funds will be presented, and the documentary heritage of the Jesuit Angelo Secchi (1818-1878), one of the founders of modern astrophysics, will be presented in a special way.
The history of the Historical Archive of the Gregoriana unfolds through a history of five centuries. Added to the over 6000 manuscripts from the ancient Roman College is part of the academic activity of the Gregorian University from the 19th century to the first half of the 20th century.
The Archive adheres to the National Census project of manuscripts in Italian libraries, offers advanced training activities at a national and international level and since 2023 has been equipped with a manuscript diagnostic and restoration laboratory.
On the occasion of the event, a small exhibition of unpublished documents from the Archive's assets will be set.
- Further information on the event "The silent witness" (Dicember 5, 2023)
- Discover the Historical Archive of the Pontifical Gregorian University
Fooundation La Gregoriana
Piazza della Pilotta, 4 - 00187 Roma (Italy)
+39 06 6701 5320 - [email protected]
Iban IT 22 K 02008 05211 000020039329
BIC SWIFT code: UNCRITM1712
