2016 Programme
Event #23
Alessandro Barbero
The space of war. The second Italian War of Independence
The second Italian War of independence is a replica of the first, eleven years later, on the very same stage – but with every other factor changed. Thanks to the web woven by Cavour, Piedmont has the French army – considered toe world’s strongest – at its side. Victor Immanuel II is not a more capable general than his father, though he believes so, but Napoleon III presents himself as the heir to his great namesake, and the world believes him. On the opposing front, old Radetzky has been replaced by a young emperor, Francis Joseph, a strong and loyal army of professional soldiers who speak ten different languages, including Italian, many rivers impeding the enemy’s progress, as well as the fortifications of the Quadrilateral to retreat into should things turn bad. Yet Francis Joseph has no intention of keeping on the defensive.
Alessandro Barbero is a historian and a writer and a tenured professor of Medieval History at Università degli Studi del Piemonte Orientale e Vercelli. He writes for La Stampa and Tuttolibri. He is a contributor on the television program Superquark and the shows Il tempo e la storia and a.C.d.C., broadcast by Rai Storia. His publications include: Benedette guerre. Crociate e jihad («i Libri del Festival della Mente», 2009), Lepanto. La battaglia dei tre imperi («i Libri del Festival della Mente», 2010), Donne, madonne, mercanti e cavalieri. Sei storie medievali («i Libri del Festival della Mente», 2013), published by Laterza; Gli occhi di Venezia (Mondadori, 2011); Il divano di Istanbul (Sellerio, 2011); Dietro le quinte della Storia. La vita quotidiana attraverso il tempo, written with P. Angela (Rizzoli, 2012); Le Ateniesi (Mondadori, 2015); Costantino il vincitore (Salerno Editrice, 2016); Le parole del papa (2016) and Caporetto (2017), published by Laterza. Il divano di Istanbul (2011), Alabama (2021) and Poeta al comando (2022) and Brick for stone (2023), published by Sellerio.
Event #7
Alberto Mantovani
Immunity and the brain: a dialogue between two chief systems. From memory to vaccines.

Event #8Approfonditamente
Simona Argentieri, Stefano Gastaldi, Giovanna Montinari
New males: as teenagers, in couples, as fathers

Event #10
Ramak Fazel, Giorgio Vasta, Michele Lupi
Across the American deserts: a voyage through 20th century collective imagination

Event #15Approfonditamente
Paolo Boccara, Paola Carbone, Giuseppe Riefolo
The analyst at the movies: thinking by images

Event #25Approfonditamente
Paolo Cornaglia Ferraris, Giorgio Gazzolo, Nicola Gomirato, Gianvito Martino, Luca Pani, Enrico Valtellina
Asperger Talk Show

Event #30
Bruno Arpaia, Alessandro Zaccuri
The memory of space. The rubble of climate and rubbish in our homes

Event #31Approfonditamente
Alessandro Dal Lago, Serena Giordano, Ex Voto
Graffiti, tags and murals: when art extends to walls

Event #38
Paolo Rumiz, Alessandro Scillitani
The voice of the road. Words, sounds and images gathered along via Appia
