Kurt Rathe's papers: the iconography of the Council of Trent

The Tridentine Diocesan Museum has successfully concluded the project to reorganize the archival fund of Kurt Rathe (1886-1952), dedicated to the iconography of the Council of Trent. In collaboration with the Tridentine Diocesan Archives and with the support of Fondazione Caritro - Cassa di Risparmio di Trento e Rovereto, as part of the “Bando archivi 2022,” the project enabled the protection and enhancement of this precious heritage.

The Rathe fund, collected by the Austrian art historian, preserves fundamental documents related to the study on the iconography of the Council of Trent, developed on behalf of the Committee for the Fourth Centenary of the Synod. The material, transferred to Trent after Rathe's death, includes notes, correspondence and photographs related to the council and the personalities involved.

The reorganization project respected Rathe's original organization, dividing the documents into files and sheets by categories and personalities, maintaining alphabetical order and separating the photographs by subject. The inventory is now available for online consultation through the AST - Archivi Storici del Trentino system.

The Rathe collection is of crucial importance for the history of the Catholic Church and the city of Trent, offering new insights into the Council event and its historical, political, cultural and artistic influence. The digitization of the archive facilitates access to and use of the material, also encouraging the creation of educational paths for schools and adult audiences.

The project involved the collaboration of several professional figures, including Domizio Cattoi and Katia Pizzini, project coordinators, and Novella Forner, Luciano Defrancesco and Sara Retrosi, responsible for reorganization and filing. The technical and scientific support of the CEI's National Office for Ecclesiastical Cultural Heritage contributed to the success of the initiative.