New volume “The Umbria of St Benedict and St Francis” presented in Rome

The Umbria of St Benedict of Norcia and St Francis of Assisi Discovering the itineraries of the Green Heart of Italy

The volume The Umbria of Saint Benedict and Saint Francis. Images of an artistic and devout journey was presented in Rome on 23 March at the Complesso Monumentale di San Salvatore in Lauro

As part of the activities aimed at promoting slow tourism and its historical and cultural heritage, the Umbria Region, on behalf of the Regional Department of Tourism and using ERDF ROP funds with Sviluppumbria as the implementing party, presents the book: The Umbria of St. Benedict and St. Francis. Images of an artistic and devout journey.

It features a selection of Benedictine and Franciscan works of art with the aim of rediscovering the many paths and cultural itineraries that connect Umbria with the wider interregional, national and European itineraries.

The main theme of the book is the rediscovery of the spiritual, cultural, social and artistic heritage of St Benedict of Norcia and St Francis of Assisi, and their contribution to the social and material development of the territory. Umbria, the green heart of Italy, is described through a selection of 150 images that retrace the routes of its medieval towns, its basilicas, churches, monasteries and convents, and the works of art that best embody the identity of the region and its people.

The book, edited by Fabio Marcelli, researcher and lecturer in the history of modern art at the University of Perugia, also includes contributions from Gianluigi Bettin, an expert on Umbrian routes and itineraries, and Vito Isacchi, an art historian, who has outlined a brief itinerary of the Umbrian places visited by Saint Francis of Assisi.

In the book, tourist and spiritual values find their synergy through the Jubilee of the Catholic Church in 2025, and the five centenaries that, from 2023 to 2026, will mark the journey of the Franciscan family around the world, ending in 2026 in Assisi with observances of the 800th anniversary of the death of Italy’s patron saint.

The President of the Umbria Region, Donatella Tesei: “An extraordinary volume, the result of a great deal of study and research. A publication that, through texts and photos, allows us to appreciate and travel among the masterpieces of figurative art that enrich Umbria and make us understand the cultural influence that Saint Benedict and Saint Francis have had and still have in our region and throughout the world. The Umbria Region wanted to play an active role in the realisation of this highly valuable publishing project, which offers a glimpse, at first general and then increasingly in-depth, of the places, works of art and historical events that have characterised our history. I would like to thank the creators, authors, researchers, photographers, editors and all those who, in various ways, have made it possible to produce this unique and prestigious publication.”

The Councillor for Culture and Tourism of the Umbria Region, Paola Agabiti: “The Umbria Region is honoured to have the unique privilege of being able to contribute to the realisation of a work that pays tribute to two fundamental figures in its history and its cultural and spiritual heritage, as Saint Benedict and Saint Francis undeniably are. In recognising their centrality in the very identity and founding matrix of our land, the profound value of their message and their work in defining and disseminating the concepts of Europe, social economy, ecology, territory, and the conservation and protection of cultural heritage is revealed now more than ever. The journey along their paths accompanies the extraordinary artistic and architectural works that embellish the green heart of Italy, evoking a universal ethic and spirituality, which we have the duty, as an institution, to protect and manifest even more tenaciously in difficult times, such as the current ones, which severely test our consciences and our entire society”.

The President of the Italian Bishops’ Conference, Cardinal Archbishop of Perugia - Città della Pieve, Gualtiero Bassetti: “Because of the intensity of the history they generated and the following they still have the strength to bring together, St Benedict and St Francis are emblems of Umbria, they feed on its spiritual roots and ideally hold it in their hands. Children of a generous people who do not love ostentation, but rather substance, they sublimate the physical and mystical landscapes of this region and guide its paths of reconciliation and interior search, travelled on numerous occasions by the supreme pontiffs, who have symbolically chosen these places for meetings of peace and communion between peoples”.

Sviluppumbria’s CEO, Michela Sciurpa: “The inspiration for this publication dates back to the beginning of my tenure as Sviluppumbria’s CEO, during a conversation I had with H.E. Cardinal Gualtiero Bassetti. It is therefore with particular pleasure that I see this work, conceived by Sviluppumbria to offer readers the chance to rediscover the profound sense of Umbria’s cultural roots, published today. By retracing the history and the footsteps of Benedict and Francis, extraordinary sons of Umbria, a symbol of the enhancement of our region is handed over to the public. The places travelled, the Franciscan Rule and the Benedictine Rule represent their commitment to others and their cohesion towards a common project. The support given to the project by the Umbria Region makes this volume a valuable tool for the enhancement and promotion of the region’s cultural and spiritual heritage”.

(press release prepared by Communication Consultant eprcomunicazione società benefit ar.l. )