2016 Programme
Event #6
Alessandro Barbero
The space of war. The First Italian War of Independence
The three Italian Wars of Independence are variations on a shared geographical theme: what happens when an army sets off from North-western Italy and attempts to conquer the North-East? The River Po, which divides the Po Valley lengthwise, and its tributaries, have always conditioned the wars fought in this space, ever since Hannibal crossed the Alps and fought his first battle on the river Ticino. When spatial constraints prove so overbearing, few variants are possible: an army’s forces on the ground become decisive – as does the brilliance of their commanders, if available. In 1848, Charles Albert’s Piedmont had an army weaker than the Austrian opponent, and a scarcity of great generals, while the other side had one, Radetzky. And yet, the outcome was not so obvious.
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
