Who we are
A TREASURE IN JARS OF CLAY
Herman “the Cripple” Called to Look Upward
Guided tour duration: 60 minutes
Curated by Gaia Aulino, Pier Paolo Bellini, Marco Bernardi, Marco Bersanelli, Sara Bosi, Maria Giulia Cotini, Anna Cova, Massimiliano Del Corso, Davide De Santis, Adolf Diefenhardt, Paolo Fini, Marco Gozzi, Cristiana Lanzarini, Chiara Locatelli, Caterina Malandri, Adriano Mancini, Paola Navotti, Isacco Neri, Luigi Orioli, Paolo Prosperi, Andreas Schmid, Dorothe Schmid, Pietro Sempio, Paolo Zambelli
The title of the exhibition is taken from the Second Letter of Saint Paul to the Corinthians (2 Corinthians 4:7), which introduces us to a journey dedicated to Hermann the Lame, a Benedictine monk from the 11th-century monastery of Reichenau, who was marked by a severe disability, yet bore witness to a full life. A life, fragile and powerful, that raises questions and offers a promise for all.
Don Luigi Giussani, through Cyril Martindale, made Hermann known to many. He did not describe him as a hero who challenges and overcomes his limitations, but as a living person—a living person because he was embraced. This sparked a strong desire to discover who Hermann the Lame was and to pose to him the most vital questions, questions born from personal experience: How can one face the mystery of disability and suffering without falling into despair? Is it possible to live one’s limitations as an invitation to fullness? Where can one rediscover dignity when everything seems to deny it?
The exhibition is a journey to discover the source of that positivity which Hermann wanted to share with those around him. His whole life was oriented toward “looking upward,” whether he was studying the stars, investigating providence in history, composing hymns to praise God, or invoking help in suffering. It was this fullness of life that gave rise to a widespread popular devotion throughout the region.
His story resonates with experiences still alive today: faces and places that share in Hermann’s struggles and bear witness to the fact that every life—even the most fragile one—when lived in this way, is a miracle in action
With the support of JTI Italia
With the support of Illumia, Regione Emilia-Romagna, Astolfi 1570
