On the occasion of the 21st edition of the Week of the Italian Language in the World, which will be held from 18 to 23 October and will focus, this year, on the theme “Dante, the Italian”, the Italian Cultural Institute of Sydney has organised two webinars on various aspects of the literary output of the Supreme Poet. The two events will feature four leading Italian academics invited by the Institute and the Department of Italian Studies at the University of Sydney.
In the first lecture (13 October), Diego Quaglioni, Professor of History of Medieval Law, will speak on Dante as a jurist and his work “De Monarchia”; followed by Sonia Gentili, Professor of Italian Literature at “La Sapienza” University of Rome, who will discuss the theme of Dante’s Ulysses as the embodiment of the natural desire for knowledge. The second webinar (20 October) will feature Mirko Tavoni, Professor of Italian Linguistics and Dante’s Philology, on the importance of Dante as linguist and founder of the Italian language, while Claudio Giunta, Professor of Italian Literature at the University of Trento, will delight the audience on Dante’s vast poetic universe.
During the Week, the IIC is planning a series of other cultural events involving all the Departments of Italian Studies in the region, and in particular: the University of Sydney, the University of Wollongong, Macquarie University, the UTS, the University of New England and the Victoria University of Wellington (New Zealand).
Other initiatives organised by the Institute include a competition for short films inspired by the Divine Comedy, called RecitaDante2021, aimed at students of Italian language at the universities which the Institute has long been collaborating with. The contestants recited some tercets from the Divine Comedy, and the winners will receive vouchers to be used to buy three return flights to Italy. The winners of the competition will be announced during the Italian Language Week.
Other important initiatives, which reinforce the close ties the Institute has had for years with Victoria University of Wellington (New Zealand), carried out in collaboration with Marco Sonzogni, are a popular exhibition on the life and works of the Supreme Poet entitled “DanteinPillole” (Dante in a Nutshell), which will be shown in various venues and which will feature the participation of the Italian artist Thomas Campi, and the VideoDante project, on the basis of which three young New Zealand filmmakers will make three videos in which three New Zealand poets recite verses by Dante Alighieri in three iconic locations in New Zealand.
On 14 October (6 pm) there will also be an online concert “MusicandoDante”, a musical journey through the canticles of the Divine Comedy, accompanied by a performance by Rebecca Viora and Australian musician and producer Talhia Petrosian .
The Week will close with the annual National Conference of Italian Teachers of Australia, organised by the Institute, together with Co.As.It, under the aegis of the Italian Embassy in Canberra, streamed online on 23 October. The day, which will be inaugurated by opening greetings by the Italian Ambassador Francesca Tardioli, will feature the participation of academics and experts of Italian language and culture, who will speak both from Italy and other Australian states. During the afternoon, two workshops will also be held for Italian language primary and secondary school teachers from all over Australia.