| Villanueva
de Sijena, 26th February 2004
Dear Counselor,
We
are delighted to welcome you to the web page of the Michael Servetus
Institute. Although all its sections have been prepared with extreme
care, we will thank you for any suggestion or commentary that
helps us to improve the quality of its contents or the format
of its design.
During
the last twenty-five years the Institute has carried out a remarkable
academic task, that has contributed to improve the general knowledge
of the life, the work and the intellectual legacy of Michael Servetus.
The study of the History of the Royal Monastery of Sijena, and
the defense of the Sixenan heritage, on the other hand so neglected,
also has occupied part of the efforts of the Institute.
In
spite of all the efforts in this sense, the work of the Institute
not always has had the diffusion that deserved. The new information
society, characterized by an extraordinary expansion of the Internet
and other communication networks as vehicles of transmission and
interchange of all type of information, is imposing to the economic
operators new obligations with regard to their working methods
and marketing strategies.
Cultural
institutions cannot remain inactive towards this new trend that
is revolutionizing the history of human communication. The information
society provides the necessary instruments so that cultural institutions
with limited economic resources obtain a greater visibility in
our society. Conscious of this opportunity, the Permanent Council
of the Institute, in his meeting of 2 of March of 2002, emphasized
the necessity to design a web page that contributed to the greater
visibility of its activities.
Like
always in these cases, this project had not been possible without
the perseverance and disinterested effort of some (very few) members,
whose example would have to extend to all the other Counselors
of this Institution to whom we hereby request their loyalty and
support. We also want to take advantage of this first communication
to emphasize the immediate objectives of the Institute, so that
all the Counselors are conscious of the immediate challenges that
we have before us and of the need to offer to the Institute, now
more than ever, their collaboration:
I.
- Presence of the Institute in domestic and international Servetian
forums
The Michael Servetus Institute aspires to continue to be a reference
center for Servetian studies. In spite some attempts to weaken
the role of the Institute in this regard, the Institute has made
an outstanding effort to be present in all the acts of the commemoration
of the 450th Servetus death anniversary and has been able to contribute
to the international projection of the Servetian legacy.
The
increasing interest by the figure and the legacy of Michael Servetus,
as much in Spain as abroad, demands from all of us a very special
effort to be present in all the national and international forums
and conferences related to the life and works of our great humanist.
For that reason, the Institute will use its best endeavors so
that a representation of this institution attends all those forums
or seminars related to Michael Servetus or the historical context
in which it developed his intellectual activity.
II.
- Protection of the heritage of the Royal Monastery of Sijena
The Institute will intensify its actions directed to the protection
of the heritage of the Royal Monastery of Sijena. It is essential
for the cultural and tourist development of the Region of Monegros
to recover this monument for the benefit of the believers and
the public in general.
The
new archaeological works, that were carried out within the Restoration
Program sponsored by the Government of Aragón have thrown
very significant discoveries, including, but not limited to, numerous
objects that the Institute will claim to the Government of Aragón
so that they can be exhibited once the Monastery has been prepared
to the effect.
The
life in community and contemplation of the Sisters of Bethlehem
is not incompatible with the visits to the Monastery. Both activities
must and can coexist. The Institute will use its best efforts
to build up a better harmony between the interests of the inhabitants
of the Region and those of the Religious Community that inhabits
the Monastery.
III.
- Modernization of the library of the Institute
The library of the Institute has suffered from several deficiencies
that we must solve at our earliest convenience. This requires
to undertake the cataloguing of its documentary and bibliographical
resources. Recently, a computer equipment was placed in the reading
room (Pentium IV desktop, laser printer, scanner) and is allowing
us to digitalize and to catalogue the bibliographical resources.
In addition, these new computer tools will allow the Institute
to welcome with dignity all those researchers requesting access
to the Institute’s library.
Notwithstanding
the above, the active collaboration of all the Counselors is necessary
to improve and enlarge the resources of our library. This collaboration
can be translated in suggestions for the acquisition of new books
or in contributions, in cash or in kind, to the Institute.
IV.
- Reactivation of the Publications department of the Institute
Many of the lectures given in the Institute have not been published
due to the lack of financial resources. This set of skillful lessons
constitutes a legacy of incalculable value that we must publish
and spread. The Permanent Council will have to decide the channels
to achieve this objective. For the time being, we are glad to
announce you that the Institute will publish some of the conferences
that were pronounced in the commemorative acts of the 450th anniversary
of the death of Servetus.
We
hope and we wish that, with the common effort of all the Counselors
of the Institute, we will manage to fulfill the foregoing objectives.
For that reason, we want to request your intellectual or material
collaboration, so that the Institute can live up to the expectations
of the new times.
Kind
regards,
Michael
Servetus Institute |
