{"id":127590,"date":"2021-06-02T15:13:46","date_gmt":"2021-06-02T13:13:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.erasmusmagazine.nl\/en\/?p=127590"},"modified":"2025-12-19T11:25:40","modified_gmt":"2025-12-19T10:25:40","slug":"prosecco-with-a-cardinal-in-vatican-city","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.erasmusmagazine.nl\/en\/2021\/06\/02\/prosecco-with-a-cardinal-in-vatican-city\/","title":{"rendered":"Prosecco with a cardinal in Vatican City"},"content":{"rendered":"

Last week, master student Fien Post set off for Rome and Vatican City with a case full of books. The aim of the trip was to add the 21-part series of books containing the 3,141 letters written by Desiderius Erasmus during his life to the Vatican library\u2019s huge collection. \u201cThe cardinal seemed to enjoy the atmosphere too, so he stayed.\u201d<\/p>\n

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Jos Exler and Fien Post present the books to the cardinal.<\/span><\/p>

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Tossing a coin in the Trevi Fountain, visiting the Colosseum, or taking a walk along the Forum. Just some of the activities on the list of the average tourist during a city break to Rome. Lunch with a cardinal at the Dutch ambassador\u2019s residence, a tour of the Vatican library and adding 21 books to that same library will probably not feature on many lists. Nevertheless, Fien Post ticked off all these items during one visit to Rome and Vatican City. \u201cI had to pinch myself several times. Am I really here, a 26-year-old master student? But it was amazing, really special.\u201d<\/p>\n

Continuing Erasmus<\/h2>
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Fien in Vatican City.<\/span><\/p>

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As an EUR student, how do you find yourself in such locations and in such company? To answer that question, we need to go back to June 2020. In an interview with EM at the time, Jos Exler talked about her mission: to complete her husband\u2019s life\u2019s work. At the turn of this century, Willem Donker had started translating all the letters written by Erasmus. But soon after the publication of part 16, Donker died.<\/p>\n

Exler quickly knew what she needed to do. \u201cMy son died young, so I know how to manage grief,\u201d she explained last year. \u201cI do that by doing the positive things that person had still wanted to do. That makes you proud and gives you good memories. So, yes, continuing Erasmus seemed a good way to grieve.\u201d<\/p>\n

Post witnessed the completion of the series up close. Whilst writing her dissertation for her International Bachelor History at EUR, she met Exler through a mutual friend. The pair started chatting about the series of books, they got on well and Post started to help Exler with promoting the Erasmus series, for example. Since last October, she has been working at Exler\u2019s publishing company four days a week, besides doing her master in Global History.<\/p>\n

Just a letter<\/h2>\n\t
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Read more Erasmus<\/h2>\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t