Highlights from the cultural world of Rome
This is followed by chats by the Camposantine Paul Maria Baumgarten about the excitement during the conclave, which convened at the beginning of August 1903 after the death of the aged Pope Leo XIII. At that time, the cardinals were literally locked up in the Apostolic Palace.
The Ateneo Sant'Anselmo on the Aventin Hill in Rome offers each year teological-spiritual lectures. The next lecture will be on 5th of March and goes about Thomas Merton.
In honour of Cardinal Kurt Koch, a public evening concert of sacred music will also be held as part of the "Unity and Singleness" conference on 7 March at 8.30 pm in the church of Campo Santo Teutonico. The chamber choir Late Night Singers from Greifswald will perform works by Palestrina, Bach, Bruckner, Pärt and others.
A small but exquisite exhibition is currently to be seen in the Biblioteca Vallicellaina, at the Chiesa Nuova. It was organised by Prof. Chiara Cecalupo (PIAC) and shows mainly 16th/17th century watercolours from the time of the rediscovery of the catacombs. The main focus is on the manuscripts by Antonio Bosio and Giovanni Severano.
The small catalogue for 4 euros is published by Schnell & Steiner and is available at the
The Pontificia Commissione di Archeologia Sacra is inviting visitors to the Roman catacombs for the seventh time. The colourful programme also includes special events for children.
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.
Römisches Institut der Görres-Gesellschaft
