Book on Pope Benedict XVI's Love for Art to Be Presented in Rome

A new book titled "Benedetto XVI. L'Arte è una porta verso l'infinito. Teologia Estetica per un Nuovo Rinascimento" (Fabrizio Fabbri Editore e Ars Illuminandi, 2017) explores Pope Benedict XVI's passion for art and the concept of the "via pulchritudinis" (way of beauty). Co-authored by Monsignor Jean Marie Gervais and Vaticanist Alessandro Notarnicola, the volume will be presented on Saturday, April 22, 2017, at 11:00 AM at the Palazzo della Cancelleria in Rome. The book is not a biography but focuses on Ratzinger's thoughts on art and beauty, including his 2009 meeting with 260 artists at the Sistine Chapel, where he reiterated the Church's need for artists, echoing Pope Paul VI's 1964 statement. The volume features ten symbolic plates by artist Bruno Ceccobelli (born 1952 in Montecastello Vivio) and ten texts by Pope Benedict tracing the relationship between popes and art. During Ratzinger's papacy (2005–2013), an agreement with the Venice Biennale led to the creation of a Vatican Pavilion in 2011, facilitated by Monsignor Gianfranco Ravasi.