17 April 2008
RECEPTION FOR QUANTA SYSTEMS
Greeting by Cardinal Giovanni Lajolo, President of Vatican City
Vatican Museums - April 17, 2008
Together with Prof. Antonio Paolucci, Director of the Vatican Museums, and Professor Ulderico Santamaria, Chief of the Laboratory for Scientific Research, I am happy to offer my cordial greetings to Dr. Paolo Salvadeo, General Director of Quanta System, as well as to all of you hailing from different parts of the world. Greetings to you all!
The ceremony over which I have the honour of presiding today, is to celebrate the donation by Quanta System of a highly specialized Laser designed to clean works of art, specifically adapted to the unique needs of the Vatican Museums. An instrument of such advanced technology, comparable to that which is used in the medical field to cure of human pathologies, will now be used to advance the cure of so many works of art in the Vatican Museum’s collection. I would therefore like to thank Quanta System for the generosity shown towards the works of art as well as to the Holy See.
In the past, other benefactors have donated the means necessary to acquire scientific instruments, which even included lasers. However, in all these previous cases, it was never a matter of an apparatus designed specifically for the needs of the particular restoration done in the Vatican Museums. For this singular gift, thank you!
The generosity of our benefactors plays an essential role in helping communicate through art the cultural and spiritual message of the Vatican Museums and the Holy See as a whole. The daily work of properly conserving the immense artistic patrimony entrusted to us - a work, might I add, which is so professionally and admirably accomplished by our staff - will only be enhanced by this vital donation by Quanta System.
In closing I would like to direct a final word of thanks to all our guests from around the world, who by their presence have wanted to express their esteem and affection for the Holy See’s diligent effort to watch over the works of art in our care. May their language of beauty continue to be the voice of the Lord who speaks to all mankind and strengthens the faith they witness. Once again, thanks to all of you and May God bless you!