The above is the title of an appreciation, by the late Dr Herbert Ganado, of Vincenzo Bonello, which was published in Lehen is-Sewwa on 17th May 1969.
Here is a short quote from it: "Censu Bonell, as he was known, was truly a highly cultured individual; more than that, he was truly one of the few truly cultured persons in our country.
His artistic and literary knowledge was moulded, so to speak, entirely by himself. He was self-taught. He enjoyed learning for the simple pleasure of amassing knowledge and understanding better. He enhanced his own artistic sensibility with methodical discipline every single day.
In the same way as others who seek beauty, he would keep his eyes open to new horizons, up to his last days. Yet, he also lived with the ardour of a Christian gentleman, gravitating towards all that is beautiful and all that is good."
Apart from the Foreword by the Chairman of the Alfred Mizzi Foundation, Julian Sammut, and the Preface by the editor, Theresa Vella, other contributors are Christian Attard, Suzannah Depasquale, Joseph M. Brincat, Anthony Spagnol, more from Theresa Vella, Daniel Cilia, Sergio Grech, Vincenzo's son Giovanni Bonello, Conrad Thake, Richard England, and Dominic Cutajar. There is also A Biographical Timeline of Vincenzo Bonello, a catalogue of his writings and a selection of articles, mainly in Italian, written by him. A Bibliography, Index and Authors' Biographies bring this splendid book to a close.
