To mark the 100th anniversary of the birth of poet and Slavist Angelo Maria Ripellino and to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the publication of his famous novel-essay Praga magica (Magic Prague), the Italian Cultural Institute in Prague today hosted an international conference in its Baroque Chapel, organised with the support of the Italian Embassy. The meeting was opened by Alessandro Ripellino, who recalled the experience he lived in Prague with his father, and shared anecdotes and family memories of the renowned Italian author.
Angelo Maria Ripellino was a very unique Slavic philologist, a poet between history and magic, a theatre critic, a translator of Russian and Czech poets, a knowledgeable and anti-academic essayist, as well as a passionate and active witness of the tragic events occurred in Prague. The conference continued with speeches by Giuseppe Traina (I volti di Praga nel volto di Ripellino), Jiří Pelán (Praga magica: poesia o scienza?), Fausto De Michele (Alfabeto Ripelliniano), Alice Flemrová (Praga magica: rilettura mezzo secolo dopo) and Alessandro Testa (Evoluzioni moderne e tardo-moderne del mito di Praga magica). Serena Vitale, who was unable to attend, sent her contribution.
The Italian Ambassador to the Czech Republic, Mauro Marsili, expressed his full appreciation for today’s initiative. “I also believe that Ripellino had a poet’s soul, capable of expressing poetry even while teaching, translating, and writing his critical essays; he was an artist who never ceased to believe in the creative and liberating role of art, in the evocative and cathartic power of the written word. I also believe that both the city of Prague, his second home, and Italy, which he introduced to Slavic and Central European culture with texts and research tools that went beyond the academic sphere, owe a great deal to Angelo Maria Ripellino” affirmed the Ambassador, concluding that “for these reasons, I have written to the mayor of Prague to express my support and the support of the Italian authorities for the initiative launched by the publisher Progetto Repubblica Ceca aimed at collecting petitions to name a street, square or other public space in Prague in Ripellino’s memory”.
Meanwhile, these days Ripellino‘s name is travelling on Prague trams and wagons at the foot of the poem Sinfonietta n. 37, translated by the writer and Bohemian scholar Sylvie Richterová for the event “Poesie per chi viaggia”, promoted by the international poetry festival “Den poezie”, this year in its 25th edition. Thanks to a collaboration between the festival and the Italian Cultural Institute, Ripellino’s celebrations will continue on Saturday 11 November, at 2 p.m., with a walk in the footsteps of “Praga magica” in the company of Vít Janota, poet emeritus of the Czech capital and a profound admirer of Angelo Maria Ripellino.
