Two ancient and precious Franciscan herbaria shine thanks to digital technology and PNRR funds, as part of the Saint Francis’ Ways project which aims to enhance the Franciscan historical heritage
Two precious manuscripts from the 17th and 18th centuries become more accessible to the public thanks to their digital transposition. The Saint Francis’ Ways project, in fact, has as its objective the valorisation of historical documents linked to the figure of Francis within the European Cultural Routes, which since 1987 has certified the best European cultural itineraries.
The first intervention concerns the herbarium of Fra Fortunato da Rovigo, preserved at the Natural History Museum of Verona. Born in 1639, Fra Fortunato created his herbarium on Monte Baldo, which was very famous for the richness of its flora. The collection still constitutes a precious document of naturalistic history today and, thanks to digitalisation, it will be more easily consultable both by researchers and scholars and by simple enthusiasts.
The second document, however, dates back to 1746 and is the work of Fra Giuseppe da Spello, an important but little-known author. It is an original and very valuable herbarium from an aesthetic point of view, focused on medicinal plants, accompanied by the name and characteristics for use in the pharmacy. The collection, previously unpublished, with digitalisation becomes collective heritage, consultable and usable by those interested. The work was supervised by Prof. Romilda Saggini.
The digitization of both documents is financed by the TOCC public announcement for the digital transition of cultural and creative bodies within the PNRR, and represents a further step in the broader cultural project of the Saint Francis’ Ways association, which aims to integrate the heritage material with the immaterial one linked to the figure of Francis of Assisi, today more relevant than ever, given the ecological push and the need to invest in sustainability in the contemporary world. Pharmacy, herbal medicine, vegetable gardens, botany, and medicine are just some of the cultural areas touched by Saint Francis’ Ways, to which music, literature and, more extensively, science must be added. And once again, modern technology plays a leading role, significantly expanding the possibilities for consulting and disseminating precious documents and works of art, establishing a “dialogue” between past and present which is also, in our opinion, the best “bridge” to the future.
https://www.saintfrancisways.eu/
