Pontifical Academy of Fine Arts and Letters of the Virtuosi al Pantheon

Last updated
Pantheon in Rome in 1836, by Jakob Alt Jakob Alt - Das Pantheon und die Piazza della Rotonda in Rom - 1836.jpg
Pantheon in Rome in 1836, by Jakob Alt

The Pontifical Academy of Fine Arts and Letters of the Virtuosi al Pantheon is one of the Pontifical Academies under the direction of the Holy See. [1] The complete Italian name of the academy, Pontificia Insigne Accademia di Belle Arti e Letteratura dei Virtuosi al Pantheon, includes the adjective insigne (illustrious), often omitted in official English translations. [2] The term Virtuosi al Pantheon (virtuosos of the Pantheon) is also usually left untranslated, but, in any event, should not be taken in the English musical sense of “virtuoso” but rather “artists of great merit”. The Pantheon in Rome was the historical home of the academy. The term “academy” is meant in the Renaissance definition of the term as an association of learned persons and not an institution of instruction.

Contents

History

The academy was founded as the “Congregation of Saint Joseph of the Holy Land” in 1542 under the auspices of the Cistercian monk, Desiderio d’Adiutorio and was recognized by Pope Paul III on October 15, 1542. From its inception, the academy has counted among its members many important artists who have left their mark in Rome. Since the 17th century, exhibits have often taken place beneath the portico of the Pantheon, the historical home of the organization. [2]

In 1837, a new statute in the Papal States provided funds for annual art competitions. The title “Pontifical” was conferred by Pope Pius IX in 1861 and “Academy” was added by Pope Pius XI in 1928. A new statute in 1995 defines the goal of the academy as one of “favoring the study and practice of letters and fine arts with particular regard to sacred art and Christian literature…in collaboration with the Pontifical Council for Culture”. [2]

With Pope Francis' reorganization of the Roman Curia as of 5 June 2022 as provided for in the apostolic constitution Praedicate evangelium , the new Dicastery for Culture and Education became responsible for coordinating the work of this Academy with its own work and that of a number of other bodies. [3]

Organisation

The “entry level” members of the Virtuosi are called “academics”; from that group, the Pope nominates candidates for the “ordinary” group, who then are termed “emeritus” upon reaching 80 years of age. There are 50 “ordinary” virtuosi divided into five disciplines: architects, painters and film-makers, sculptors, academics dedicated to art and music, and poets and authors. The president of the academy is appointed by the Pontiff for a term of five years and may be reappointed. The president is also a member of the coordinating council for Pontifical Academies. [2]

The academy typically sponsors art exhibits, presentation of poetry and literature, discussions, and visits to historic sites in Rome. Since 2016, the president of the academy is Pio Baldi. [4] The current secretary is Ernesto Lamagna. The current premises of the academy are at Piazza della Cancelleria 1 in Vatican City in Rome.[ citation needed ]

See also

Related Research Articles

The Roman Curia comprises the administrative institutions of the Holy See and the central body through which the affairs of the Catholic Church are conducted. It acts in the pope's name and with his authority for the good and for the service of the particular churches and provides the central organization for the church to advance its objectives.

Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith Roman congregation

The Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith is the oldest among the department of the Roman Curia. Its seat is the Palace of the Holy Office in Rome. It was founded to defend the church from heresy; today, it is the body responsible for promulgating and defending Catholic doctrine. It was formerly called the Supreme Sacred Congregation of the Roman and Universal Inquisition; between 1908 and 1965 the Supreme Sacred Congregation of the Holy Office; and then until June 2022 the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith. It is still informally known as the Holy Office.

Benedetto Luti Italian painter (1666–1724)

Benedetto Luti was an Italian painter.

Pontifical academy

A pontifical academy is an academic honorary society established by or under the direction of the Holy See. Some were in existence well before they were accepted as "Pontifical."

The papal household or pontifical household, called until 1968 the Papal Court, consists of dignitaries who assist the pope in carrying out particular ceremonies of either a religious or a civil character.

Pontifical Academy of Sciences Scientific academy of the Vatican City

The Pontifical Academy of Sciences is a scientific academy of the Vatican City, established in 1936 by Pope Pius XI. Its aim is to promote the progress of the mathematical, physical, and natural sciences and the study of related epistemological problems., founded in 1847 as a more closely supervised successor to the Accademia dei Lincei established in Rome in 1603 by the learned Roman Prince, Federico Cesi (1585–1630), who was a young botanist and naturalist, and which claimed Galileo Galilei as its president. The Accademia dei Lincei survives as a wholly separate institution.

Antonio Cavallucci Italian painter (1752–1795)

Antonio Cavallucci was an eighteenth-century Italian painter of religious scenes and portraits.

Casina Pio IV Patrician villa in Vatican City; seat of the Pontificial Academy of Sciences

The Casina Pio IV is a patrician villa in Vatican City which is now home to the Pontifical Academy of Sciences, the Pontifical Academy of Social Sciences and the Pontifical Academy of St. Thomas Aquinas. The predecessor of the present complex structure was begun in the spring of 1558 by Pope Paul IV in the Vatican Gardens, west of the Cortile del Belvedere. Paul IV commissioned the initial project of the 'Casina del Boschetto', as it was originally called, from an unknown architect; the first mention of the single-storey building can be found on 30 April 1558, and a notice of the following 6 May, says that the Pope spent "two thirds of his time at the Belvedere, where he has begun to build a fountain in the woods".

Silvio Oddi

Silvio Angelo Pio Oddi was an Italian prelate of the Catholic Church who worked in the diplomatic service of the Holy See and in the Roman Curia. He became a cardinal in 1969 and headed the Congregation for the Clergy from 1979 to 1986.

The Pontifical Biblical Commission is a body established within the Roman Curia to ensure the proper interpretation and defense of the Bible.

Pontifical Academy of Saint Thomas Aquinas

The Pontifical Academy of Saint Thomas Aquinas is a pontifical academy established on 15 October 1879 by Pope Leo XIII, who appointed two presidents, his brother Thomist Giuseppe Pecci (1879–1890) and Tommaso Maria Zigliara, professor of theology at the College of Saint Thomas.

The Pontifical Academy of Martyrs is one of the ten Pontifical Academies established by the Holy See. It serves to advance the cult of saints and martyrs and the study of related early Christian history, including the catacombs. It operates with guidance and support from the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments and the Roman Curia.

The Pontifical Academy of Archaeology is an academic honorary society established in Rome by the Catholic Church for the advancement of Christian archaeological study. It is one of the ten such Pontifical Academies established by the Holy See.

Pontifical Academy of Mary Pontifical academy in Vatican City

The Pontifical Academy of Mary is an international pontifical organization tasked with promoting mariology. The academy is one of the Pontifical academies at the Vatican in Rome. The PAMI also has the task of coordinating the other Marian academies and societies that exist worldwide and of exercising vigilance against any Marian excess or minimalism. For this purpose the Pope directed that the Academy have a council that examines the organization of congresses, and that coordinates Mariological societies and those who promote or teach mariology.

Pontifical Academy of Theology

The Pontifical Academy of Theology is a learned society founded in 1718, and is a Pontifical Academy. It is situated at Via della Conciliazione, Vatican City, Rome.

The Pontifical Academy for Latin was established in 2012 to promote appreciation for the Latin language and culture. The Academy replaced the Latinitas Foundation, which Pope Paul VI erected in 1976, and is linked to the Dicastery for Culture and Education on which it depends. Its headquarters is located in Vatican City.

Accademia often refers to:

Pietro Gagliardi 19th-century Italian painter

Pietro Gagliardi was an Italian painter and architect, who decorated many churches and palaces in Rome and throughout Italy.

Praedicate evangelium is an apostolic constitution reforming the Roman Curia and was published and promulgated on 19 March 2022 by Pope Francis; the document took effect on 5 June 2022.

The Dicastery for Culture and Education is an administrative unit of the Roman Curia. It began operations on 5 June 2022 as established by the apostolic constitution Praedicate evangelium promulgated on 19 March 2022. It was formed through the merger of two earlier bodies, the Pontifical Council for Culture and the Congregation for Catholic Education.

References

  1. "Pontifical Academies". Vatican.
  2. 1 2 3 4 "Profilo della Pontificia Insigne Accademia di Belle Arti e Lettere dei Virtuosi al Pantheon". Vatican (in Italian).
  3. Pope Francis. "Praedicate Evangelium, sulla Curia Romana e il suo servizio alla Chiesa nel Mondo (19 marzo 2022)". Dicastero per la Comunicazione - Libreria Editrice Vaticana. Article 162. Retrieved 10 June 2022.
  4. "Pio Baldi, nouveau président de l'Académie des Virtuoses". La Croix. 6 December 2016.

Coordinates: 41°53′48″N12°28′17″E / 41.89667°N 12.47139°E / 41.89667; 12.47139