Abstract

This article, the first of a series, brings up a question: why has Romano Guardini’s aesthetic theory remained unexamined? In the first part, after pointing out Guardini’s writings on art and beauty, a possible cause is found in his nearness to Heidegger’s aesthetic thought. Yet, the author argues that Guardini’s position is grounded in his own life experience and in his ongoing aesthetic reflection, which developed independently from Heidegger. Two theoretic paths, proper to Guardini, are thus identified: his interest in catholic liturgy and his work on “polar opposition”. In the second part, Guardini’s “The Spirit of the Liturgy” is analyzed in order to show the basis of his aesthetic thought