On Saturday, January 18th, the first of five appointments with the “History Lessons” is scheduled at the Donizetti Theater (at 11:00 AM). This initiative is conceived by Editori Laterza and co-produced with the Fondazione Teatro Donizetti with the support of Cassa Lombarda. The new edition is dedicated to Rebels, focusing on the thoughts and actions of some great figures from the past, from Jesus to Cleopatra, from Joan of Arc to Robespierre and Fidel Castro, and aims to be an exhortation to cultivate the hope of an always possible change. The protagonist of the inaugural meeting, titled Jesus: The Breaking of the Law, will be the theologian Vito Mancuso who will articulate his speech by posing some questions, whose answers do not always automatically correspond to certainties: Did Jesus explicitly intend to break with the Law? Yes and no. Yes, because he was executed for his harsh contestation of religious tradition and his announcement of the kingdom of God in radical opposition to the powers of this world. No, because his rebellion was the result of a deeper obedience. To what? To whom, to what? Vito Mancuso has taught Modern and Contemporary Theology at the San Raffaele University in Milan and was a professor of History of Theological Doctrines at the University of Padua. He currently teaches at the Meditation and Neuroscience master’s program at the University of Udine. Since 2022, he has been an editorialist for the newspaper “La Stampa”. Among his most successful books, translated into other languages, are: L’anima e il suo destino (Raffaello Cortina, 2007),
God and I. A guide of the perplexed (Garzanti, 2011), The passion principle. The force that drives us to love (Garzanti 2013), God and His Destiny (Garzanti 2015). His latest publications are The Mind in Love (2022), Ethics for Difficult Days (2022) , Never miss the joy. Short itinerary of liberation (2023) and Destination Hope (2024), all for Garzanti.
The “History Lessons” will continue with Francesca Cenerini, who will talk about the figure of Cleopatra and the influence that Egyptian culture had on Roman taste (February 1st); with Maria Giuseppina Muzzarelli, who will evoke the historical figure, charisma, and complex personality of Joan of Arc (February 8th); with Luigi Mascilli Migliorini, who will offer a profound reflection on Robespierre, at the heart of the French Revolution (February 15th). And finally with Loris Zanatta, who will present Fidel Castro and his revolutionary “political religion” (March 1st). All the meetings will be introduced by the journalist Max Pavan, head of information at Bergamo TV. Tickets are 10 Euros, with a reduction for schools to 8 Euros. At the end of the meetings, the authors will stay with the audience for book signings at the Ridotto Gavazzeni of the Theater.
