For the past 13 years an American Benedictine monk has worked in some of the world’s most dangerous places to uncover and digitize invaluable Christian and Muslim manuscript collections threatened by wars and extremists.
© Matilde Gattoni
Head of the world’s largest manuscript digital library, Father Columba has already saved more than 50,000 centuries-old religious, scientific and phylosophical documents, many of them just weeks before they were physically destroyed by ISIS and al Qaeda.
Working with local teams in places such as Syria, Iraq and Mali, Columba preserves our millenary cultures by archiving the manuscripts online and making them universally accessible worldwide. In a moment when terrorism and wars threaten our historical heritage, his tireless activity has become our best chance to protect our past, traditions and identity.
Project realized together with photographer Matilde Gattoni. Text and pictures available