Bellezza e conservazione: una prospettiva metafisica, pedagogica ed ecclesiale
10.6092/issn.1973-9494/4189
SummaryAfter considering the notions of technology, art and culture, this essay presents a brief study on the metaphysical concept of beauty referring particularly to the thought of Thomas Aquinas and then proposing its application in an anthropological-pedagogical sphere. Focus then moves onto the philosophical concept of “conservation”. In this way the paper intends to show how Christian thought has necessarily deepened – in the light of the fundamental notions that belong to it – both the meaning of beauty, the artistic one included, and the concept of conservation and how these perspectives can represent in some way an interesting contribution for those who work in the field of conservation sciences or in the field of the planning and promotion of artistic and cultural events, especially if these events relate to religious heritage. RiassuntoDopo aver preso in considerazione le nozioni di tecnica, arte e cultura, il testo presenta un breve studio sul concetto metafisico di bellezza facendo riferimento soprattutto al pensiero di Tommaso d’Aquino, proponendone poi alcune applicazioni di ordine antropologico-pedagogico. L’attenzione passa poi al concetto filosofico di “conservazione”. In tal modo questo contributo si propone di mostrare come il pensiero cristiano abbia necessariamente approfondito - alla luce delle nozioni fondamentali che gli appartengono - sia il significato della bellezza, compresa quella artistica, che il concetto di conservazione, e queste prospettive possano in qualche modo costituire un apporto interessante per chi opera nelle scienze della conservazione o nella progettazione e promozione di eventi artistici e culturali, specie se inerenti a beni del patrimonio religioso. RésuméAprès avoir évoqué des notions de technique, d’art et de culture, le texte présente une courte étude sur le concept métaphysique de beauté en se référant principalement à la pensée de Thomas d’Aquin, puis en proposant des applications d’ordre anthropologique/pédagogique. L’attention se tourne ensuite vers le concept philosophique de « conservation ». De cette manière, l’article se propose de montrer qu’à la lumière des notions fondamentales qui lui appartiennent, la pensée chrétienne a nécessairement approfondi la signification de la beauté - y compris de la beauté artistique - de même que le concept de conservation, et que ces perspectives peuvent représenter de quelque manière un apport intéressant pour les personnes qui travaillent dans les sciences de la conservation, ou dans la conception et la promotion d’événements artistiques et culturels, surtout s’ils concernent des biens du patrimoine religieux. ZusammenfassungNachdem die Begriffe Technik, Kunst und Kultur in Betracht gezogen wurden, präsentiert der Test eine kurze Studie über das metaphysische Konzept der Schönheit, wobei besonders auf den Gedanken von Thomas von Aquin Bezug genommen und dann einige anthropologisch-pädagogische Anwendungen desselben vorgeschlagen werden. Die Aufmerksamkeit wendet sich dann dem philosophischen Konzept der „Bewahrung“ zu. Auf diese Weise will dieser Artikel nachweisen, dass der christliche Gedanke notwendigerweise – im Licht der ihm zugehörigen Grundbegriffe – sowohl die Bedeutung von Schönheit, einschließlich der künstlerischen, als auch das Konzept der Bewahrung eingehend untersucht hat, und dass diese Perspektiven in gewisser Weise einen interessanten Beitrag für diejenigen darstellen können, die im Bereich der „Konservierungs“-Wissenschaften oder in der Planung und Förderung künstlerischer und kultureller Veranstaltungen tätig sind, speziell wenn sie religiöse Güter betreffen. ResumenDespués de haber examinado las nociones de técnica, arte y cultura, el texto presenta un breve estudio acerca del concepto metafísico de belleza, principalmente con referencia a las ideas de Tomás de Aquino, para luego proponer algunas aplicaciones antropológico-pedagógicas. La atención se centra luego en el concepto filosófico de "conservación". Es así que esta contribución se propone demostrar como el pensamiento cristiano ha necesariamente llevado a profundizar (teniendo en cuenta las nociones fundamentales que le son propias) tanto el significado de belleza, en clave artística inclusive, como el concepto de conservación, además, procura que estos enfoques puedan de alguna manera convertirse en una aportación interesante para quienes trabajan en el ámbito de las ciencias de la conservación o se encargan de planificar y promover eventos artísticos y culturales, en especial si son inherentes a bienes del patrimonio religioso. РезюмеПриняв во внимание понятия техники, культуры и искусства, текст представляет краткое исследование метафизической концепции красоты, ссылаясь прежде всего на мысли Фомы Аквинского, предлагая некоторые их приложения антропологического и педагогического характера. Затем внимание переходит к философской концепции "сохранения". Таким образом, эта статья показывает, как христианская мысль обязательно углубленно изучала - в свете фундаментальных понятий, ей принадлежащих -  как смысл красоты, в том числе и художественной, так и концепцию сохранения; и что эти перспективы могут тем или иным образом оказаться полезными тем, кто работает в науке сохранения или в разработке и продвижении художественных и культурных мероприятий, особенно касающихся религиозного наследия.摘要在考虑了科技、艺术和文化等观念后，文章介绍了关于美学的形而上学概念的研究并以托马斯·阿奎那的思想作为参考，推出了一些人类学-教育学方面的实行。之后焦点转移到了“保留”的哲学概念。这样一来该论文说明了基督教的思想(根据所属的基本概念)加深了下面内容: 美学的意义(包含艺术的), 文物保留的概念和这些相关的前景都能够为文物保留或艺术、文化活动安排和推广的人们带来贡献，特别是在宗教遗产方面。 
application/pdf
1973-9494
4189
en
Mauro Mantovani
Conservation Science in Cultural Heritage
metaphysics
Beauty and conservation: a metaphysical, pedagogical and ecclesiastical perspective
Text.Serial.Journal
https://conservation-science.unibo.it/
13
Articles
2013-12-30
2014-02-09
2013-12-30
2015-11-02
285-299
CSCH
Mauro Mantovani
2013/12/30
10.6092/issn.1973-9494/4189
285
1973-9494
metaphysics
en
299
CHENIS C., Fondamenti teorici dell’arte sacra, cit., p. 13.
Beauty and conservation: a metaphysical, pedagogical and ecclesiastical perspective
https://conservation-science.unibo.it/article/download/4189/3634
13
B    EAUTY AND CONSERVATION: A METAPHYSICAL, PEDAGOGICAL
     AND ECCLESIASTICAL PERSPECTIVE



   Mauro Mantovani●1
   Facoltà di Scienze della Comunicazione sociale
   Università Pontificia Salesiana



   Keywords: beauty, conservation, art, aesthetics, metaphysics



   Introduction

   This paper deals with subjects of a philosophical and theological nature, particularly
seen from an ontological and anthropological-pedagogical perspective, with respect
to the concept of “artistic” and “cultural”, thus giving rise to reflections on the themes
of beauty and conservation. We hope that what follows, which makes no claim to be
complete or thorough, may however, be interesting and useful, considering that in Italy
almost 85% of the cultural heritage is “religious”. This means it is important not only
for “insiders”(experts) in this field, but also for all those who wish to work in planning
and promoting artistic and cultural events or are engaged in related training and edu-
cational activities.




                                                                                                      CONSERVATION SCIENCE IN CULTURAL HERITAGE
   1. Technology and culture

    As commendably stated by the historical-technical Journal “Conservation Science
in Cultural Heritage”, today we live in a context of internazionalization of culture, with
the result that there is an increasing need for interdisciplinarity, or rather transdiscipli-
narity. In fact it is becoming increasingly necessary for there to be a fruitful encounter
and active collaboration between the so called “hard” sciences and the… “softer” ones,
and also between “humanistic” and “technical-scientific” disciplines. Unfortunately
knowledge today is fragmented and there is an alarming tendency to reduce “human-
istic issues” within academia, at times sanctioned by the self-same new university
syllabi, with the result that the anthropological dimension is not viewed as a decisive
and central aspect in the various relational and professional1 fields. By overcoming the
various forms of reductionism which are often still too convoluted, starting with those
of a neo-positivistic character, the concept of university itself, as a “convergence ad
unum” of various disciplines2, is compromised. On this same subject, Thomas Aquinas
(1225-1274) – an author we will often refer to in this article – stated in his commentary
on Aristotle’s Metaphysics that “omnes autem scientiae et artes ordinantur in unum,
scilicet ad hominis perfectionem, quae est eius beatitudo» [1].
    Today there is no shortage of interesting initiatives and activities for promoting dia-

● Corresponding author: mantovani@unisal.it

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                                                                                                      logue between disciplines and different kinds of knowledge, from the relationship be-
                                                                                                      tween theology and various sciences, or art and technical-scientific3 disciplines. In
                                                                                                      these areas the particular importance of philosophy emerges as an essential element
                                                                                                      of mediation and as an interface within this dialogue, which in a more general sense
                                                                                                      emerges in its purely cultural profile.

                                                                                                      We know how contemporary thought pays great attention to the issue of technology4.
                                                                                                      It is interesting to note that the Greek concept of techne was translated into Latin with
                                                                                                      the term “ars”. An interesting essay by G. Lombardi underlines that ancient authors
                                                                                                      were concerned about defining «the function and the value of techne in the human
                                                                                                      learning process or in acting or doing. Aristotle, in the incipit of the A volume of Meta-
                                                                                                      physics writes ‘all men naturally desire knowledge […]’, describes the cognitive path
M. Mantovani - Beauty and conservation: a metaphysical, pedagogical and ecclesiastical perspective




                                                                                                      of man as being stimulated from its earliest stages, towards not only what is useful but
                                                                                                      above all towards what is pleasing. He states that “techne begins when a multiplicity
                                                                                                      of experiences produces only one universal judgment which embraces all things that
                                                                                                      are similar”. In his opinion techne is closely related to - or indeed, dependent on – the
                                                                                                      experience, but differentiates it from the role of the experience, which although com-
                                                                                                      ing after feeling and memory, still seems to be the prerogative of other animals too.
                                                                                                      Techne allows there to be a possible distinction between the animal-man and other
                                                                                                      animals» [2].
                                                                                                          Although for Plato and Aristotle there is a direct link between experience and techne,
                                                                                                      stopping at experience would reduce it to the mere understanding of the “what” and
                                                                                                      the “how” but would not lead to the “why”. It is interesting to note that the same opinion
                                                                                                      was shared by Pope Benedict XVI in a passage of the encyclical letter Caritas in veri-
                                                                                                      tate (2009), in which, complaining about a reductionist consideration of technology, he
                                                                                                      states that «technology can appear ambivalent», relating this reasoning to the fact that
                                                                                                      the notion normally applies to questions concerning man only on the “how”, without
                                                                                                      considering the many “whys” which drive him to act [3].
                                                                                                          On the indispensable need to reach the why, required by an integral and “high” con-
                                                                                                      cept of technology, G. Lombardi adds in his study on ancient thought: «we know that
                                                                                                      according to Aristotle giving an answer to the why not only means explaining the cause
                                                                                                      but also the four causes of the object (material, efficient, formal and final); and giving
                                                                                                      the causes, together with the principles, is the requisite needed for our knowledge to
                                                                                                      be called real knowledge or science, that is, episteme. If techne allows us to under-
                                                                                                      stand the why, then this is where its value and importance lie from the point of view of
                                                                                                      the growth of our knowledge. A growth therefore, which does not identify itself with the
                                                                                                      simple accumulation of notions – already opposed by Heraclitus – as a parameter for
                                                                                                      wisdom (sophia): it is not valued so much in a quantitative way, but rather in a qualita-
                                                                                                      tive one, that is, in acquiring the ability for abstraction. A growth which does not find an
                                                                                                      end in mere personal enrichment, since according to  Aristotle ‘the ability to teach is
                                                                                                      generally the distinctive sign (semeion) to discern those who know how to, from those
                                                                                                      who do not, so we think that techne, rather than experience, is episteme; those who
                                                                                                      have techne can teach, while others cannot’» [4]. It is interesting that aspects relating
                                                                                                      to conservation and transmission, are at least implicitly present in the same original
                                                                                                      concept of techne/ars.
                                                                                                          Let us now consider the notion of culture; the term itself is difficult to describe and
                                                                                                      is at the same time complex. The pastoral constitution Gaudium et Spes “about the
                                                                                                      Church in the contemporary world” promulgated by the Second Vatican Council de-


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fines culture as: «all those instruments with which man develops and expresses the
many qualities of his soul and body; […] culture makes social life more human, […]
and expresses, communicates and conserves the great experiences and spiritual as-
pirations in his works as time passes» [5]. From these expressions, as C. Chenis
notes, one understands that in the concept of culture it is possible to obtain «a material
element, that is, the values and goods produced, a teleological element, namely the
improvement of life, and an efficient element, which is knowledge and work. In other
words, in the term “culture” it is possible to discern a humanistic aspect, since it is a
quality that an individual can acquire, a sociological aspect, since society is the bearer
of culture, and a technological aspect, since transformed material reality is what sup-
ports culture» [6]. Today the consideration of “transformed material reality” extends to
all new “virtualities” which emerge from the extraordinary possibilities offered by the
digital world, new technologies and new media. It can almost be said that culture is like
«a transcendental property of man» [7], meaning that wherever there is humanum its
inseparable cultural dimension is present too5.
    The Gaudium et Spes also addresses the issue of the relationship between faith
and culture, rightly placing the focus of attention on the integrality of the experience
of the human being, who «when [he] man gives himself to the various disciplines of
philosophy, history and of mathematical and natural science, and when he cultivates
the arts, he can do very much to elevate the human family to a more sublime under-
standing of truth, goodness, and beauty, and to the formation of considered opinions
which have universal value. Thus mankind may be more clearly enlightened by that
marvelous Wisdom which was with God from all eternity, composing all things with him,
rejoicing in the earth, delighting in the sons of men» [8].

  2. Beauty




                                                                                                   CONSERVATION SCIENCE IN CULTURAL HERITAGE
  2.1. “Thinking” beauty

   We would now like to make some theoretical considerations on the subject of pul-
chrum, first by searching for its definition and then examining the question of its rela-
tionship with bonum6.
   In the Dictionary of Philosophy under Bello (beautiful), M. Ferraris writes: «one can
discern five fundamental concepts of “bello”, upheld and illustrated both inside and
outside aesthetics. They are: a) demonstration of good; b) demonstration of truth; c)
symmetry; d) sensitive perfection; e) expressive perfection» [9]. It is evident even from
these titles how the issue concerning aesthetics also invests the relation between
beauty, good, truth, harmony and taste7. Regarding this point S. Lorusso writes: «It is
not easy to determine to what extent the fruition of a work of art is linked to affection,
that is, to ethical and not only aesthetic participation» [10].
   In referring to the idea of beauty, Saint Augustine recalled the balance between
the different parts through which a group becomes one “unit”. In the last century too,
there were thinkers who considered beauty, naturally in different degrees, as an objec-
tive characteristic of what exists: for example, Rosmini explicitly includes pulchrum
among the transcendental features of being and makes an actual doctrine for it called
callologia, directly linked to metaphysical questions [11]. Maritain instead believes that
pulchrum is «the splendour of all transcendental features joined together » [12]; von
Balthasar made it a fundamental point for theological reflection [13].


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                                                                                                          On the other hand the “anti-metaphysical” climate that characterised many thinkers
                                                                                                      during the late 20th century led instead to considering the question of beauty, univer-
                                                                                                      sally recognized as being part of every culture, on the basis of a more regulatory and
                                                                                                      consensual nature. What R. Rorty states in La filosofia e lo specchio della materia
                                                                                                      (1979) is emblematic; in his opinion, art teaches that the meanings and values with
                                                                                                      which a man’s life is woven together are in a dimension that goes beyond the true
                                                                                                      and the false. Or rather, a dimension where the notion of truth as correspondence
                                                                                                      (correspondence to the reality of the statement it refers to) appears insufficient. He
                                                                                                      invites us to “experiment” this kind of truth in the name of freedom. Truth is thus a way
                                                                                                      of establishing “a meaning for us”, so tolerance and irony become features of a truth
                                                                                                      conceived on an aesthetic basis [14].
                                                                                                          The philosophical consideration of the relation between aesthetics and art, between
M. Mantovani - Beauty and conservation: a metaphysical, pedagogical and ecclesiastical perspective




                                                                                                      nature and art and more particularly between natural beauty and artistic beauty, with
                                                                                                      the consequent question about the essence of beauty, is obviously an issue of great
                                                                                                      noetic importance. In our opinion the metaphysical question regarding the proprium of
                                                                                                      beauty cannot be separated from the overall view of being and its fundamental proper-
                                                                                                      ties8. Theoretically, one of the main questions about the issue of pulchrum is whether
                                                                                                      or not it is a “transcendental property”, considering “transcendental” in the classic pre-
                                                                                                      Kantian sense. It is not indifferent to ask oneself if a reality should be considered
                                                                                                      beautiful because it is – in some way – beautiful in itself or rather because it is conven-
                                                                                                      tionally considered such or in reference only to subjective criteria and so related. This
                                                                                                      is actually one of the problems currently affecting aesthetics, because “in the absence
                                                                                                      of the ideality of beauty, that is, its metaphysical nature, the possibility of a systematic
                                                                                                      framework for the philosophy of art is also invalidated» [15].
                                                                                                          Firstly, for the definition of beauty, that given by the Italian philosopher B. Mondin is
                                                                                                      very interesting. For him, beauty «is that special grace by which a person, a thing or an
                                                                                                      action arouses admiration and enchantment, fascinates and gives pleasure. Truth on
                                                                                                      the other hand calls upon knowledge and goodness calls for willingness, while beauty
                                                                                                      suscitates admiration. In front of beauty we are ecstatic» [16]. Beauty is not an inciden-
                                                                                                      tal additive to be added to complement an external equilibrium: it is instead a sign of
                                                                                                      inner fulfillment and expresses the perfection reached by a reality in accordance with
                                                                                                      its true essence [17]. This means considering beauty in a “splendor formae” perspec-
                                                                                                      tive – on which we focus specifically – taking into account the main aspects of Thomas
                                                                                                      Aquinas’s concept of beauty9. Even though he did not indicate pulchrum as one of the
                                                                                                      transcendental properties listed in Question 1 of his De Veritate, in Summa Theologiae
                                                                                                      and in other texts he presents interesting information about the theme of beauty from
                                                                                                      a metaphysical point of view.

                                                                                                         2.2. The Contribution of Thomas Aquinas

                                                                                                         On the relationship between beauty and kindness in Question 5, Article 4 of the I
                                                                                                      Pars of the Summa, Aquinas states that «pulchrum et bonum in subiecto sunt idem,
                                                                                                                              [18]. It is claimed therefore that the beautiful and the good ac-
                                                                                                      sed ratione differunt» �����������������������������������������������������������������
                                                                                                      tually identify themselves with the subject in which they exist because they are both
                                                                                                      founded on the same “thing” that is their form; however Doctor Angelicus, in evident
                                                                                                      correspondence with the more general doctrine about transcendentals of being, states:
                                                                                                      «they differ in concept. Good is about the appetitive faculty of craving, good being what
                                                                                                      everybody craves for, so it acts as an end, since craving is like a movement towards a


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thing. Beauty on the other hand is about the cognitive faculty; beautiful refers to those
things that give pleasure when seen. So beauty is in due proportion; since our senses
delight in well-proportioned things, as in something which resembles them; the sense
is in fact a kind of proportion, like any other cognitive faculty» [19].
    As M. Daffara points out, in Aquinas’s opinion «when cognizable things are signifi-
cantly or clearly proportionate and harmonized in the multiplicity of their parts, they
lend themselves to being easily perceived by the cognitive faculties, causing delight,
which is essentially beautiful: beautiful are the things that are ‘quae visa placent’. We
like them because they are similar to the cognitive faculties themselves: harmonic
multiplicity, unity, rich simplicity» [20].
    Continuing with the relationship between beauty and goodness, another interest-
ing and valuable reference can be found in Question 27 of the I-II of the Summa
Theologiae. Thomas in wondering whether good is the only cause of love (Article 1:
Utrum bonum sit sola causa amoris), clearly states that good is the exclusive cause
for love (unde relinquitur quod bonum sit propria causa amoris). One of the difficulties
about this is that not only good, but also beauty, appears to be lovable to everybody:
on this question Aquinas offers another interesting clarification about the ontological
basis of aesthetic experience stating that «(beauty identifies itself with good, except
for a simple distinction of reason. In fact, while good is ‘what everyone craves and
implies satisfying this appetite, beauty implies satisfying this appetite only by its mere
presence or knowledge. In fact beauty involves those senses that are mainly cognitive,
such as sight and hearing which serve intellect, so we speak of things that are beautiful
to see or hear. Instead for objects pertaining to the other senses we do not usually
speak of beauty: in general we do not say that flavours or smells are beautiful. It is
therefore evident that beauty adds to good, a relationship with a cognitive faculty: so,
we call good what is pleasing for the appetite, while we call beautiful, what it is pleas-
ant to know» [21].




                                                                                                    CONSERVATION SCIENCE IN CULTURAL HERITAGE
    Thomas also states in strictly theological terms, that pulchritudo presents a certain
analogy with the personal features of the Son (habet similitudinem cum propriis Filii).
With this statement Doctor Angelico claims that beauty requires three features: - integ-
rity or perfection, ‘since incomplete things are misshapen; due proportion or harmony
between the parts; - clarity or splendour, since we call beautiful, things that are splen-
did and have sharply defined colours [22].
    Also in referring to the moral dimension of human existence and to a person’s ac-
tions, for Aquinas the “ratio pulchritudinis” consists in quadam moderata et convenienti
proportione and it is no coincidence that in his thought we can find a relationship be-
tween Ciceronian decorum and moral pulchrum [23], thus underlining the splendour
and the beauty of virtue (tota claritas et pulchritudo virtutis) [24]. In Question 145 of
the II-II of the Summa Thomas states: «As can be inferred from Dionyius’s words (De
Divinis Nominibus Chap. 4, Lect. 5) beauty is constituted by both splendour and due
proportions: indeed he affirms that God is beautiful ‘as the cause for the splendour and
harmony of all things’. So the beauty of the body consists in having well proportioned
limbs, with the right brilliance of colour. Likewise spiritual beauty lies in the fact that
the behaviour and actions of a person are well-proportioned according to the light of
reason. Now, this […], is the constitutive element of honesty identified with virtue, that
ultimately controls all human things. Therefore honesty is identified with spiritual beau-
ty» [25]. For this reason beauty is essentially and formally found in contemplative life.
     We may thus conclude with T. Centi, noting that for Aquinas, beautiful can be de-


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                                                                                                      fined as «Anything that brings a sense of pleasure in the act of its perception and for
                                                                                                      the simple reason that it is recognized as such regardless of the convenience of our
                                                                                                      natural appetites and the rational search for happiness; that is to say apart from our
                                                                                                      hedonistic and moral concerns. Elements of such a pleasure are: ‘the splendor of
                                                                                                      form’, that is the perfection of nature and its products with respect to the ideal principle
                                                                                                      that inspired them and the resulting perspicuity in the face of the faculties of sense and
                                                                                                      intellect» [26].
                                                                                                          In light of the above it is evident that the Aquinas notion of beauty thus never in-
                                                                                                      dicates a purely subjective fact but always something objective: in Doctor Angelico’s
                                                                                                      opinion, reality, being able to present itself evidently and clearly to the spirit, is in itself
                                                                                                      beautiful. Beauty then is not an “a priori category”, even though obviously possessing
                                                                                                      an intrinsic relationship with our faculties, it is first and foremost a manifestation of the
M. Mantovani - Beauty and conservation: a metaphysical, pedagogical and ecclesiastical perspective




                                                                                                      being in which they themselves live, since every entity – because it is an entity and to
                                                                                                      the extent to which it participates in the being – as well as being good and true, is also
                                                                                                      beautiful. The Pulchrum is an aspect of the bonum, even if – as we have seen – in
                                                                                                      Thomas Aquinas’s opinion noetically it distinguishes itself. In its constitutive elements
                                                                                                      of integrity, proportion and splendour, beauty essentially consists of a relationship: «a
                                                                                                      relationship of convenience or harmony between an aspect of the being and the faculty
                                                                                                      of an intelligent creature. […] It does not coincide with the truth, even if it is related to
                                                                                                      knowledge, because in truth, what matters is the apprehension, cognition and intuition
                                                                                                      of the thing, while what counts in beauty is enjoyment, pleasure and admiration. Nei-
                                                                                                      ther does it coincide with goodness, because what counts in goodness is possession
                                                                                                      while it is excluded in beauty» [27].
                                                                                                          Doctor Angelico’s assignment of beauty to the cognitive  faculty leaves open the
                                                                                                      issue of the relationship between knowledge and aesthetic experience and finds
                                                                                                      its primary response in admiration. The very word “admiration” is evidence: admire
                                                                                                      means “look towards”, «allowing what one sees guides one’s look without ever pen-
                                                                                                      etrating it, making it one’s own, without ever absorbing it. Admiration is tension and
                                                                                                      expectation, hope, attention more than intention. […] The hope of our eyes and ears
                                                                                                      thus rises towards the Living one, which draws next to us patiently adapting itself to
                                                                                                      us» [28].

                                                                                                         2.3. A “via pulchritudinis”?

                                                                                                          As is known, Kant himself spoke of the beautiful as a reflex, a revelation of the in-
                                                                                                      finite regarding the finite [29], of “God who shows himself”; on the other hand Cioran
                                                                                                      has affirmed: «When I listen to Bach, I believe» [30]. So we ask: can we speak of an
                                                                                                      aesthetic journey towards the Absolute, considering what has been said above, from a
                                                                                                      metaphysical point of view?
                                                                                                          If the theme of beauty is considered within the horizon of the transcendental proper-
                                                                                                      ties of being, one can first affirm that beauty has different degrees and that God, as the
                                                                                                      totality and fullness of being, can be in turn considered as unlimited Beauty, once pure
                                                                                                      perfection has been recognized in beauty10. In his commentary Super librum Dionysii
                                                                                                      De divinis nominibus Thomas Aquinas was thus not only able to praise God’s beauty,
                                                                                                      but also indicated in the Absolute the same Subsistent Beauty [31].
                                                                                                           Beauty as splendor formae – John Paul II reminds us in his Letter to the Artists – has
                                                                                                      always been directly linked to God, «Infinite ocean of beauty where wonder becomes
                                                                                                      awe, exhilaration and unspeakable joy» [32]. John Paul II also states that beauty is «an


                                                                                                290
invitation to savour life and dream of the future. For this reason the beauty of created
things can never fully satisfy and stirs that hidden nostalgia for God that a lover of the
beautiful like Saint Augustine was able to express in incomparable terms. ‘Late have I
loved you, beauty ever so old and ever so new, late have I loved you’» [33].
    The philosopher, S. Vanni Rovighi, expresses herself in this way: «The considera-
tion of beauty as proof of God’s existence may seem – and is – very fragile from a
strictly rational point of view, but is not without efffect for those who recognize the
beauty of nature: the heavens declare the glory of God, not only because of the regu-
larity of their movements, but also because they are beautiful. […] I do not claim this to
be a demonstrative argument, but I wonder if many of us have not been led to think of
God by contemplating the beauty of nature» [34].
    In his ideal and divine world Plato had already ranked beauty as the first, as it was
the only one, among all the perfect substances to be considered the most evident and
loveable [35]; in Christian thought God is explicitly indicated as the princeps analoga-
tum of kindness and beauty, therefore as the Supreme-Good and the Supreme-Beauty
[36]. For this reason he is the source and the cause for the beauty present, in different
ways, in all creatures: a creature’s beauty is indeed a “participant resemblance” of the
same divine beauty (similitudo divinae pulchritudinis in rebus participata) [37]. God
is “pulcrifico”, he makes things beautiful and his beauty «infinitely surpasses every
beauty we know» [38]. It is no coincidence that in Chapter 4 of the commentary Super
librum Dionysii De divinis nominibus, Thomas Aquinas affirms that as the source and
cause of the beauty in creatures, it is “He” who “gives beauty” to things.
    In this perspective beauty anchored to being, has an intrinsic intelligibility as the
splendour of the substantial shape: it makes the being in its sensitive features more ev-
ident, so that not only the “wonders” of nature, but also art forms manifest themselves
as “clarity of being”, revealing their intimate intrinsic and extrinsic basis [39]. Therefore
the beauty of sensitive forms is one way that leads to divine beauty because aesthetic




                                                                                                      CONSERVATION SCIENCE IN CULTURAL HERITAGE
and conceptual forms are a manifesto of the inexpressible, “they speak the unspeak-
able”, so that every fragment of contingent splendour may constitute an opening, a
point of access to the Absolute»11. Real art undoubtedly invokes transcendent values
of beauty and truth, more or less fleetingly grasped as an expression of the Absolute,
that can stimulate the itinerarium mentis ad Deum [40].
    «The masterpiece - C. Chenis continues - establishes absolute communication with
the subject. In the face of beauty embodied in the perceivable, the ego undergoes
an aesthetic and ecstatic experience» [41]. This discussion is particularly important
and significant when talking of cultic art, that trespasses on poetical knowledge (even
though moving from it), catalyses the noblest emotions while going beyond them, cir-
cumscribes human will while referring to the divine one, calls the faithful to an assem-
bly though it is God’s house. This ultimately represents our ‘speaking of God’ beyond
the knowledge, giving life to an encompassing human-divine habitat where people and
things integrate themselves in ordaining to God with splendor of lives and forms» [42].
    From the Christian perspective, the result is that in its harmonious position within
Tradition, art is able to make the epithet of “sacred” its own, together with that con-
tinuous and righteous renovation that allows it to be an expression of fertile dialogue
between faith and culture. Cultic art, which is indeed a constitutive element of liturgical
action, acts - inside it – as a sacramental action12.
    Benedict XVI during his meeting with the artists in the Sistine Chapel on November
21st 2009, specifically remembered, on this subject, the “via pulchritudinis”, «a path


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                                                                                                      of beauty that is at the same time an artistic, aesthetic journey and one of faith, of
                                                                                                      theological research». «The theologian Hans Urs von Balthasar - Benedict XVI stated
                                                                                                      – starts his great work entitled Glory. A Theological Aesthetics, with these striking ex-
                                                                                                      pressions: ‘Our first word is called beauty. Beauty is the last word that the thinking
                                                                                                      intellect dares to say, because it only crowns, as with a halo of uncontained splendour,
                                                                                                      the two-fold constellation of the truth and good and their inseparable relationship’. […]
                                                                                                      Hence, the path of beauty leads us to gathering the Whole in a fragment, the Infinite
                                                                                                      in the finite, God in the history of humankind. In  this regard Simone Weil wrote: ‘In
                                                                                                      everything that awakens a pure and authentic feeling of beauty in us, there is the real
                                                                                                      presence of God. There is almost a kind of incarnation of God in the world and beauty
                                                                                                      is the sign. Beauty is the experimental proof that incarnation is possible. For this rea-
                                                                                                      son, all art of the first order, is by its nature, religious’. An even more icastic description
M. Mantovani - Beauty and conservation: a metaphysical, pedagogical and ecclesiastical perspective




                                                                                                      is that by Hermann Hesse: ‘Art means: revealing God in everything» [43].

                                                                                                         2.4. Anthropological-pedagogical aspects of beauty

                                                                                                          Let us now briefly look at the anthropological-pedagogical aspect. The philosopher
                                                                                                      L. Pareyson rightly wrote «only aesthetic education is able to mediate the transition
                                                                                                      from the physical man to the ethical man» [44]. Art is first of all a “gymnasium” for prac-
                                                                                                      tising dialogue and reciprocity, cultivating the relationship between beauty and truth.
                                                                                                      It stimulates one into retrieving the wonder, marvel, enthusiasm when faced with the
                                                                                                      richness of reality, starting with one’s own life and history, nature, works and vestiges
                                                                                                      to which we have access in order to admire them. Accompanying young people in
                                                                                                      developing an aesthetic judgment contributes significantly to their overall growth: while
                                                                                                      with critical judgement it is the intellect that adapts to reality, while in aesthetic judg-
                                                                                                      ment this happens together with the sharing of feeling and emotion, considering the
                                                                                                      existential entirety of the person.
                                                                                                          Art by its nature is disinterested, it has no other purpose – at least to start with – un-
                                                                                                      less one considers the aesthetic experience itself and for this reason teaching art and
                                                                                                      beauty means helping the transition from passive interest to active interest that ema-
                                                                                                      nates from within: standing before a work of art we are involved in going-inside, of al-
                                                                                                      most becoming co-creators, to such an extent that the aesthetic experience becomes
                                                                                                      all-encompassing, a subject-object relationship in which we are called to go outside
                                                                                                      ourselves using intellect and sensitivity, without estranging ourselves in order to reach
                                                                                                      contemplation. For this reason according to Christian thought, artistic creation is par-
                                                                                                      ticipation in God’s creative ability and every true education in beauty is a school of
                                                                                                      freedom, ethics and citizenship. The responsibility of recognizing and sharing beauty
                                                                                                      is not always an easy exercise but is useful and precious in dialogue and in respecting
                                                                                                      identity and diversity. As S. Lorusso writes «in the words of those who sustain the pos-
                                                                                                      sibility of learning from each other’s cultures: ‘I believe that the incompleteness of any
                                                                                                      culture is its first virtue, because it leaves the door open to encounter, interpretation
                                                                                                      and truth’» [45].
                                                                                                          Art education is indeed, demonstrating that “feeling is not enough”, thus opening a
                                                                                                      path to authentic freedom. It is important to direct efforts toward acquiring that “mature”
                                                                                                      human structure characterized by the ability to go beyond the feeling to recognize
                                                                                                      reality in its truth, through the cultivated intelligence of things and value judgments,
                                                                                                      relations with others, the relationship between tradition/innovation. It is on this delicate
                                                                                                      passage that the efficacy of educational work can find a point of verification: when it


                                                                                                292
promotes the ability to recognize and choose what is really beautiful without impedi-
ments or ideological narrow-mindedness; it leads to an orderly and harmonious man-
agement of one’s life starting from the relationship between listening/word and action/
contemplation; it develops a capacity for “elegance” and true aesthetic taste. The con-
cept of Bildung, as is known, helps in giving a good idea of this “spiritual education”:
«something both higher and more intimate, that is to say the attitude, coming from
knowing and feeling the totality of the spiritual and ethical, harmoniously flows into the
self-same feeling and character» [46]. Aesthetic education can and should stimulate
and verify interior harmony and freedom, so helping to clarify the misunderstanding
about the disengagement of freedom from truth.
    A final aspect that seems important to point out is the consideration of existence
as a “calling to the masterpiece”. «The first page of the Bible - John Paul II writes
– introduces us to God as if he were the exemplary model of every person who cre-
ates a work: in man the craftsman mirrors his image as a Creator. [...] In the ‘artistic
creation’ man reveals himself more than ever as ‘God’s image’ and accomplishes this
task above all moulding the wonderful ‘substance’ of his human nature and then exer-
cising a creative supremacy over the surrounding universe» [47]. This is how we are
reminded of the task every man is charged with, the vocation of making his life a work
of art: «to every man is given the task of being the creator of his own life: in a sense he
must make a work of art from it, a masterpiece» [48]. If the work of art is beautiful when
it is “finished”, the result of a dynamic that is a sign of the metaphysical dimension of
evolution of the contingent being, then educating oneself for a dynamic consideration
of the art work means recognizing one’s own life as a work that is made and is-to-be-
made continuously. This is the meaning of the invitation to live as protagonists for a
«renewed ‘epiphany’ of beauty in our times» [49], because the aim of education is to
ensure that every person is the most beautiful version of his/her own self.




                                                                                                    CONSERVATION SCIENCE IN CULTURAL HERITAGE
   3. Philosophical concept of “conservation”

    Let us now turn to the philosophical concept of conservation, which is inherently
linked to the concept of creation. Christian thought has indicated conservation as one
of the ways in which divine providence manifests itself and wisely and lovingly guides
and supports all created reality. The notion of conservation derives from the concept
of creation itself as a continuous production achieved through the being of those in
existence.
    The philosopher A. Alessi writes: «Contingent beings do not have sufficient reason
for their existence in themselves but owe their existence to a cause that ultimately can-
not be but divine cause. This reliance on Being is continuous, permanent, not definite.
If an object were not continuously illuminated by the sun it would stop shining. When
cause stops being cause, the effect fails. As a result the contingent being continuously
shows its precariousness and continually requires support in being, from the Absolute,
so the divine Being cannot stop his support otherwise not all things will exist. It must
be noted however that from a creature’s point of view there is a temporal distinction be-
tween creation (the initial moment when God made them exist) and conservation (the
successive moments when the Absolute keeps them alive), from God’s point of view,
who transcends every spatial-temporal distinction, the act of conservation identifies
itself with the act of creation. What is conservation, if not the action prolonged, quoad
nos, through time» [50].


                                                                                              293
                                                                                                          Therefore the notion of conservation philosophically represents the ontological
                                                                                                      “counter-weight” to aspects of insecurity, temporality, limits, etc. that mark the exis-
                                                                                                      tential dimension of every creature and expresses its indispensable need for support
                                                                                                      in facing the metaphysical lability of creatureliness. Thomas Aquinas pointed out that
                                                                                                      «Oportet quod idem sit causa rei et conservationis ipsius; nam conservatio rei non est
                                                                                                      nisi continuatio esse ipsius» [51].
                                                                                                          For more details on conservation within the discourse on creation and Providence,
                                                                                                      there are several useful texts that may be referred to13. The philosopher M. Pangallo
                                                                                                      appropriately writes: «Creatures and the whole of creation are totally dependent on the
                                                                                                      Creator both in starting to exist and to continue to exist, in every moment of their life or
                                                                                                      their being. The continuous reliance of creatures on the Creator is called conservation.
                                                                                                      Conservation is creation continued through which the being subsists from nothing. The
M. Mantovani - Beauty and conservation: a metaphysical, pedagogical and ecclesiastical perspective




                                                                                                      expression ‘continuous creation’ means that a creature can never stop depending on
                                                                                                      God and hence the term ‘creation’ is used with the meaning of ‘being dependent’; this
                                                                                                      clarification is useful to avoid conceiving conservation as a continuous creative activity in
                                                                                                      which God directly intervenes in every aspect of becoming, creating every finished entity
                                                                                                      from nothing. In truth there are many artificial beings created by man and not by God
                                                                                                      from nothing (ex nihilo): for example appliances, cars, calculators, etc.; there are also
                                                                                                      many natural entities indirectly made by man, such as new breeds of animals derived
                                                                                                      from selections and crossbreeds or produced by the evolutionary dynamism of human
                                                                                                      beings. These ‘new’ beings are not drawn from thin air, but derive from pre-existing be-
                                                                                                      ings that are combined in a certain way; and yet they depend on God the Creator too
                                                                                                      because the primary causal influence of the divine allows […] secondary causes to com-
                                                                                                      pete in many ways to produce multiple effects in many ways, such as new realities and
                                                                                                      new substances. Conservation is not a set of creative acts that follow one another in time
                                                                                                      but simply the continuation or extension of the creative action» [52].
                                                                                                          From an anthropological point of view it is interesting to highlight how desire, “ten-
                                                                                                      sion” in the persistence of being, represents one of the constants that accompany
                                                                                                      the human person’s existence tending not only to conserve oneself but also to “being
                                                                                                      more”, to self-transcendence [53].

                                                                                                         Conclusion

                                                                                                          Returning to the initial distinction between artistic and cultural, we could say first of
                                                                                                      all – in the light of the path taken – that we can and have to look at art, which is also
                                                                                                      science14, as a fundamental cultural good15. «Cultural heritage produced by the action
                                                                                                      of man’s making can be of artistic value. […] In its etymological meaning the artificial
                                                                                                      contrasts with the natural but since antiquity, artistic connotation draws the artifact from
                                                                                                      its pure instrumentality in order to make it an evocative sign of man’s spirituality» [54].
                                                                                                      In its relationship and its inseparable position in the environment art thus represents a
                                                                                                      necessary tool for eco-sustainability, ethics and aesthetics16.
                                                                                                          From the theoretical perspective, both philosophical and theological and its applica-
                                                                                                      tions in anthropology and education, Christian thought has necessarily deepened – in
                                                                                                      light of the fundamental notions that belong to it – both the meaning of beauty, the
                                                                                                      artistic one included, and the concept of conservation and in our opinion these per-
                                                                                                      spectives in a certain way can represent an interesting contribution for those who work
                                                                                                      in the field of conservation sciences or in the planning and promotion of artistic and
                                                                                                      cultural events, particularly if these events relate to religious heritage.


                                                                                                294
    Notes

1
    It is interesting to note that the term “human flourishing” in different languages,
    which recalls a person’s “blossoming”, “generation” and overall coherent matura-
    tion, is becoming more widespread. Cf. the main themes of the next Convention
    dedicated to ‘Personal Flourishing in Organizations’ to be held in Rome at the Pon-
    tificia Università della Santa Croce on February 24th and 25th 2014.
2
    For contributions given by recent Popes on the role and identity of the University,
    cf. Tanzella-Nitti G. 1998, Un’idea di università nel magistero di Giovanni Paolo II,
    Piemme, Casale Monferrato; Leuzzi L. 2008, Allargare gli orizzonti della razionalità.
    I discorsi per l’Università di Benedetto XVI, Paoline, Milano; Leuzzi L. 2011, Una
    nuova cultura per un nuovo umanesimo. I grandi discorsi di Benedetto XVI, Libreria
    Editrice Vaticana, Città del Vaticano. See also the provocative volume by Ferraris
    M. 2009, Una ikea di Università, Raffaello Cortina, Milano.
3
    As regards the issue of the relationship between faith and science as the result
    of a dedicated series of meetings held in Rome at the Centro Culturale “Paolo VI”
    di Sant’Ivo alla Sapienza in the years 2006-2012, cf. Mantovani M. - Amerise M.
    (ed.) 2008, Fede, cultura e scienza. Discipline in dialogo, Libreria Editrice Vaticana,
    Città del Vaticano; Carderi F. - Mantovani M. - Perillo G. (ed.) 2012, Momenti del
    Logos. Ricerche del “Progetto LERS” (Logos, Episteme, Ratio, Scientia) in memoria
    di Marilena Amerise e di Marco Arosio, Edizioni Nuova Cultura, Roma. There is
    currently underway (2012-2015) a homologous initiative entitled “Art, Culture and
    Technology”.
4
    For the importance of reflection on 20th century “technology” we cite, merely by way
    of example: Heidegger M. 1976, La questione della tecnica, in Id., Saggi e discorsi,
    Mursia, Milano, pp. 5-27; Guardini R. 1993, Lettere dal lago di Como. La tecnica e
    l’uomo, Morcelliana, Brescia; Galimberti U. 1999, Psiche e techne. L’uomo nell’età




                                                                                                    CONSERVATION SCIENCE IN CULTURAL HERITAGE
    della tecnica, Feltrinelli, Milano.
5
    On this issue see the interesting contribution by Montani M. 1996, Filosofia della
    cultura. Problemi e prospettive, Las, Roma.
6
    On this theme see our previous contributions that are a direct reference for the
    writing of this paper: Mantovani M. 1999, Verso Dio-bellezza: un percorso per i gio-
    vani?, Note di Pastorale Giovanile 33 (8), pp. 13-21; Mantovani M. 2005, Il pulchrum
    nell’orizzonte dei trascendentali dell’essere in S. Tommaso d’Aquino, PATH 4 (2),
    pp. 377 - 394; Mantovani M. 2005, Educating for Beauty (Pulchrum) as a Journey
    towards the Absolute, Divyadaan. Journal of Philosophy & Education 16 (3), pp. 291
    - 322; Mantovani M. 2006, Una via musicale (estetica) verso l’Assoluto?, in Mess-
    inese L. - Göbel C. (ed.), Verità e responsabilità. Studi in onore di Aniceto Molinaro,
    Centro Studi Sant’Anselmo, Roma, pp. 117-131.
7
    To this end see Lorusso S. 2012, La valutazione soggettiva e oggettiva dell’opera
    d’arte: due lingue di un’unica cultura, Conservation Science in Cultural Heritage 12,
    pp. 22-24.
8
    On this issue consider the following contributions: Molinaro A. 2002, Metafisica.
    Corso sistematico, San Paolo, Cinisello Balsamo, pp. 111-113; Molinaro A. 2006,
    L’arte come problema filosofico, in Id. (ed.), Filosofia e Arte, Urbaniana University
    Press, Roma, pp. 5-20; Gilbert P.P. 1997, Corso di metafisica. La pazienza d’essere,
    Piemme, Casale Monferrato, especially pages from 309 to 321.
9
    Cf. among other things, on this theme: Eco U. 1988, The aesthetics of Thomas


                                                                                              295
                                                                                                            Aquinas, Harvard University Press, Cambridge (Mass.); Monachese A. 2008, La
                                                                                                            bellezza come nome di Dio nel pensiero di Tommaso d’Aquino, Pontificia Univer-
                                                                                                            sità Urbaniana, Roma; Monachese A. 2010, Trascendentalità della bellezza. Uno
                                                                                                            sguardo sulla vita dalla prospettiva di san Tommaso, Euntes Docete 63 (3), pp.
                                                                                                            173-183; Papa R. 2009, Bellezza ed arte alla luce di san Tommaso, in Congiunti
                                                                                                            L. - Perillo G. (ed.) 2009, Studi sul pensiero di Tommaso d’Aquino. In occasione del
                                                                                                            XXX anniversario della S.I.T.A., Las, Roma, pp. 331 - 337.
                                                                                                      10
                                                                                                            Spiritual beauty is gathered by the intellectually and morally more ‘refined’, but how
                                                                                                            can God be credited with sensitive beauty since God does not have a body? Sensi-
                                                                                                            tive beauty is a “mixed” perfection so it is fulfilled by God, only in a virtual way, there-
                                                                                                            fore included in a greater perfection, that is “pure”. On this question, see Venturini
                                                                                                            N. 1998, La ricerca dell’Assoluto. Dio c’è? Chi è?, Coletti, Roma, pp. 871-872.
M. Mantovani - Beauty and conservation: a metaphysical, pedagogical and ecclesiastical perspective




                                                                                                      11
                                                                                                            On this theme see the interesting contribution by Agejas Esteban J.Á. 2004, La
                                                                                                            adecuada comprensión de la vía estética de acceso al misterio, Doctor Angelicus 4,
                                                                                                            pp. 111-126.
                                                                                                      12
                                                                                                            This argument has been translated in a series of editorials in the review Armonia di
                                                                                                            Voci. Cf.: Una musica che conduce all’eternità, Armonia di Voci 55 (2000/3), p. 1;
                                                                                                            Dalla storia all’eternità, Armonia di Voci 55 (2000/4), p. 1. this is particularly valid for
                                                                                                            the music destined for liturgy: « Seriously talking about art and ‘music’ in liturgy is
                                                                                                            not a matter of practical ‘functionality’ but first of all of a theological understanding
                                                                                                            able to guarantee an adequate and consequent artistic production». Da Maria verso
                                                                                                            un tipo di arte per il culto, in Armonia di Voci 58 (2003/2), p. 43.
                                                                                                      13
                                                                                                            Cf. these themes: Pangallo M. 2004, Il Creatore del mondo. Breve trattato di teolo-
                                                                                                            gia filosofica, Ed. Leonardo da Vinci, Santa Marinella (Roma), pp. 287 - 289; Arroyo
                                                                                                            Sánchez J.M. 2007, El tratado de la providencia divina en la obra de Santo Tomás
                                                                                                            de Aquino, EDUSC, Roma; Mazzer S. 2012, La provvidenza come motivo di credi-
                                                                                                            bilità della fede cristiana. Storia dell’argomento “ex providentia”: “La Provvidenza
                                                                                                            non può permettere che sia errata la fede cristiana, Colleferro; Sentis L. 2013, Saint
                                                                                                            Thomas d’Aquin et le mal. Foi chrétienne et Théodicee, Beauchesne, Paris.
                                                                                                      14
                                                                                                            To this end see Lorusso S. 2004, Arte e Scienza, l’Arte è Scienza, Conservation
                                                                                                            Science in Cultural Heritage 4, pp. 11-13.
                                                                                                      15
                                                                                                            Cf. De Nardis P., Alteri L. 2010, Per una fenomenologia dei Beni Culturali, Conser-
                                                                                                            vation Science in Cultural Heritage 10, pp. 132-141.
                                                                                                      16
                                                                                                            It is properly stated in Lorusso S., Braida A.M. 2012, Arte e Ambiente come mezzo
                                                                                                            per l’ecosostenibilità, l’etica e l’estetica, Conservation Science in Cultural Heritage
                                                                                                            12, pp. 68-75.

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  Biographical notes

    Mantovani Mauro, a Salesian priest, is currently Vice-Rector and Dean of the Fac-
ulty of Social Communication Sciences at the Salesian Pontifical University of Rome,
where he is full professor in theoretical philosophy. He is Doctor of Philosophy at the
Pontifical University of Salamanca in Spain and in theology at the Pontifical Univer-
sity of St. Thomas Aquinas “Angelicum” in Rome. He teaches philosophical theology,
philosophy of history and introductory philosophy. His most recent research interests
relate to the history of Spanish Thomism and issues relating to the fine line between
philosophy, theology and science.  He is an ordinary member of the Pontifical Academy
of St. Thomas Aquinas.




                                                                                                CONSERVATION SCIENCE IN CULTURAL HERITAGE




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