2012 Programme
Event #23
Alessandro Barbero
How did women think in the Middle Ages? Christine de Pizan
The first feminist writer in history was Italian, thug she wrote in French. She was the daughter of Tommaso da Pizzano, the court physician and astrologer of Charles V, King of France. When her father became aware of her talent he encouraged her to study and to write against her mother’s opposition. Christine was no rebel: she married one of the king’s secretaries and had children. When she was widowed, she was 30 years old and had young children to raise. So she decided that she was like a man and try to achieve success by writing. Her books were enthusiastically welcomed by princes, philosophers and poets and won her fame and wealth. But she was not content: now that her voice was heard, she attacked macho stereotypes by writing that if all women had been allowed to study as she had, men’s alleged superiority would have been destroyed.
Alessandro Barbero, historian and writer, is Professor of Medieval History at the University of Eastern Piedmont and Vercelli. He contributes to the programmes “Passato e presente” and “a.C.d.C.” aired on Rai Storia. Since 2023 he has been the star of the programme “In viaggio con Barbero”, on LA7. In the same year he started for Chora Media “Chiedilo a Barbero”, a podcast in which he answers questions on history sent in by listeners. Among his publications: “Le parole del papa” (2016), “Caporetto” (2017), “Dante” (2020), 2All' arme! All'arme. I priori fanno carne” (2023), published by Laterza; “Gli occhi di Venezia” (2011) and “Le Ateniesi” (2015), published by Mondadori; “Costantino il vincitore” (Salerno, 2016); “Il divano di Istanbul” (2011), “Alabama” (2021), “Poeta al comando” (2022) and “Brick for stone” (2023), published by Sellerio.
Event #3
Anna Salvo
Sorrow is like a telescope that helps us look into the distance: creatività and suffering
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Event #4
Andrea Moro
I speak, therefore I am Like the starry sky: visions of language across the centuries
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Event #28
Mauro Agnoletti, Ilaria Borletti Buitoni
Culture, environment, landscape. For a possible, sustainable future
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