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On March 22nd Saint Bonaventure professor Michael Chiariello gave the prestigious Ranieri Foundation lecture on Umberto Eco’s The Name Of The Rose.
What relevance does Franciscan thought presented in Umberto Eco’s medieval detective novel The Name of the Rose have for post-modern-minded American college students? Building on previous research, Dr. Michael Chiariello, explained that Eco’s protagonist, William of Baskerville, is a character only possible for a Franciscan, whose attention to logic made them rather more appropriate for detective characters than other orders. While Eco has always denied the possible relevance of his novel to the twenty-first century, Chiariello suggested that there are strong currents of hope in the book. We musn’t think that just because we cannot find absolute truth, that we cannot get closer to it. “You may not always find, but you can always look better,” says William to his literary foil Adzo.
The talk was open to the public and was held in the main hall of the Ranieri Palace, a fifteenth-century edifice in Perugia’s historic center. The Uguccione Ranieri di Sorbello Foundation seeks to promote better international relations through cultural projects like its annual lecture. Michael Chiariello, Ph.D., is a Professor of Philosophy at Saint Bonaventure University, as well as being both the founder and director of the Franciscan Heritage Program.
What do chocolate, sugar, and coffee have in common?Yes, they all are delicious, but they’re also the ingredients in the famous Italian dessert known as tiramisù, or in English, ‘Pick me up!’. Some say the recipe for this dangerously satisfying dessert can be traced back to 17th century Siena where it was created for the Grand Duke Cosimo de’ Medici III. Others contest that it was invented in Treviso at Le Beccherie restaurant by the confectioner’s apprentice whose maiden name was Tiramisu.
Giampiero Bevagna, Umbra’s Roman Empire professor was recently invited to give presentations at two conferences in Connecticut at both Trinity College in Hartford and Connecticut College in New London. In his presentation at Connecticut College, “From Etruria to Rome: the Concept of Sport in Ancient Italy,” Professor Bevagna covered the evolution of ancient Roman games; how they transformed over the ages whether linked to religious ceremonies or had political connotations. His presentation, “Umbrian Sunset, Roman Dawn: How Early Italic Civilizations were transformed into New Romans” which he presented at Trinity College focused on the various stages in the process of Romanization in the region of Umbria.
The fortunate students of the Umbra Institute’s Renaissance Art course got what few who visit Florence receive: a professional tour that, in two days’ time, visits all of the major sites. What could be better? How about an expert in the field, noted Renaissance Art scholar Adrian Hoch. Professor Hoch’s class made its way from the Uffizi (Botticelli, Adriano da Fabriano, Leonardo, Michelangelo) to the cathedral, sacristy, and refractory of Santa Croce before closing the day with the Capponi Chapel. Day Two featured the Brancacci Chapel, Santo Spirito, San Marco (Savanorola’s cell and hair-shirt were on display), and finally, fittingly, the David. At Umbra, students don’t just study art: they get right into it. Coming up is Professor Hoch’s Leonardo field trip to Milan to see the Last Supper.
The article, written in Italian (Google-translated version) is intended to give the Italian audience an idea of what the American study abroad experience is like, from their opinion of Perugia’s public transit system – questionable – to the Perugian way of life (alluring).
One of the comments that almost every Umbra student makes about Perugia regards how easy it is to feel at home: “When I travel on the weekend, I can’t wait to get home to Perugia on Sunday – it’s such a livable city, and I already feel like I’m part of the culture.” From learning the tricks of the city – like which random doorways, gated and closed during the day, turn into late-night bakeries selling fresh pastries – to developing a relationship with the barista in the café under your house, it’s almost effortless to integrate yourself in Perugia.
