The Florentine toponymy, in particular the female one, is enriched by a new name. On December 10, at 12 noon, via Ellen Gould White—so named for the writer, co-founder and prominent figure of the Seventh-day Adventist Christian Church—will be inaugurated.
It all began when the Adventist Institute "Villa Aurora" (Iacb), of Florence, presented a request to the competent bodies to name the street overlooked by the new campus facilities, now Viale del Pergolino, after the pioneer of the denomination.
The request has been accepted and the Institute "thanks the City of Florence for the sensitivity shown in recognizing the goodness and suitability of the proposal formulated".
In its decision, the City Council considered various elements including: the fact that the religious institution, settled on the property since 1947, in addition to being a university seat, has dedicated some of its facilities to receiving the families of patients hospitalized in the nearby hospital complex; it is only the buildings of Villa Aurora that overlook the street in question; Florentine streets, according to an ancient custom, often take their name from the surrounding context; changing the naming would not be detrimental to a very ancient historical memory; and, last but not least, providing ease of access to the facilities for those who want to use the services but often take the wrong street because there are two similar names (via del Pergolino and viuzzo del Pergolino).
At the street naming ceremony, the "Ellen G. White" Center for Studies and Documentation, the current library, will also be inaugurated on campus.
The pioneer
This is how the Iacb describes her in presenting the Study Center on the villaaurora.it website:
Ellen G. White (1827-1915) was a very special person to the Seventh-day Adventist Church. Along with Joseph Bates and her husband, James White, she is the co-founder of the religious movement formed in 1863, later established as the General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists. A religious leader, prolific writer, social reformer, as well as a wife and mother of a family, her multifaceted influence has been felt far beyond denominational boundaries. In 2014, Smithsonian Magazine included her on its list of the "100 Most Influential Americans of All Time."
For Seventh-day Adventists, Ellen G. White is a special person because, in her, they recognize the manifestation of the prophetic gift. In the fundamental doctrines of Seventh-day Adventists, No. 18 is dedicated to her: "The Scriptures testify that one of the gifts of the Holy Spirit is prophecy. This gift is a sign that identifies the remnant church and was manifested in the ministry of Ellen G. White. Her writings speak with prophetic authority and offer encouragement, guidance, instruction, and correction to the church. They also clearly state that the Bible is the standard by which all teaching and experience must be tested (Num. 12:6; 2 Chron. 20:20; Amos 3:7; Joel 2:28, 29; Acts 2:14-21; 2 Tim. 3:16, 17; Heb. 1:1-3; Rev. 12:17; 19:10; 22:8, 9)."
After her death, a foundation, the Ellen G. White® Estate, was created, with a companion website on which it is possible to consult the complete digital works of Ellen G. White in the original language and, at least for the works translated so far, in many other languages, including Italian. To further promote awareness of the work and writings of Ellen G. White, study centers dedicated to her have been created in various regions of the world (Branch Offices, Research Centers, Study Centers).
Notable especially to the Italian context, an Ellen G. White Study Center, officially recognized by the Ellen G. White® Estate, has been established at the Adventist Institute. It has a wide selection of the published works of Ellen G. White in English, Italian, and other languages. These works are integrated within the Institute's library catalog and are searchable.
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