Monday 26 October, 6.30pm
Italia. Pensiero, futuro #6
Giorgio Piras in conversation with Massimo Sebastiani
Italia. Pensiero, futuro is a series of events curated by the Director of the Italian Cultural Institute in London, Francesco Bongarrà, and journalist Massimo Sebastiani.
The sixth event in the series of meetings dedicated to Italian research and innovation in all fields of culture will feature Giorgio Piras, full professor of classical philology at the Department of Ancient Sciences at the University of Rome “La Sapienza.”
Is it enough to have the Colosseum, the Domus Aurea and the Circus Maximus to be recognised worldwide as the greatest experts in classical antiquity? Of course not — much more is needed. If the Department of Classical Antiquities at the University of Rome La Sapienza has ranked first in the QS World University Rankings for the sixth consecutive year, the reasons are not the still-admired remains of a glorious past. As Giorgio Piras, who directed that Department, explains, the primacy is rooted in the great tradition of classical studies in Italy, in the innovative educational offer, and in the capacity that a humanistic and classical education provides for the mental flexibility to solve complex problems — a skill highly sought after in the contemporary world of work, even outside the strictly academic or school environment.
About the series Italia. Pensiero, futuro. The vitality and diversity of Italy go beyond its art, landscapes, and cuisine. From the post-war period to the present—and especially in recent years—Italy’s legendary creativity and dynamism have taken new paths (from neurobiology research to artificial intelligence) while also finding ways to revitalize the glories of a more or less recent past (from classical antiquity to political experimentation).
To introduce this perhaps lesser-known Italy to an international audience, the Italian Cultural Institute in London has designed a series of encounters—a true collection whose “pearls” are the representatives of this movement of ideas, passion, and research that make Italy a protagonist in thought and innovation.
One meeting per month in a talk-show format, where the guest reflects on a single word that encapsulates the essence of their research and answer questions from director Francesco Bongarrà, Massimo Sebastiani, and the audience.
Book your seat HERE
The series is supported by Intesa Sanpaolo and DLA Piper Studio Legale Tributario Associato.
Giorgio Piras is a full professor of classical philology at the Department of Ancient Sciences at the University of Rome “La Sapienza.” A graduate of La Sapienza, he completed his PhD and postdoctoral studies at the Scuola Normale Superiore in Pisa. He has been a fellow at various foreign universities (Cambridge, Oxford, École Normale Supérieure in Paris, Munich) and received the “Giorgio Pasquali” scholarship for advanced studies in classical philology. An expert in classical philology since 1999, he has been a researcher in classical philology and associate professor of Latin language and literature at the Department of Ancient Sciences at La Sapienza. He has focused in particular on Varro’s De lingua Latina (Varro and the ‘poetica verba’. Study on the seventh book of ‘De lingua Latina’, Bologna 1998), for which he is preparing a new critical edition for the ‘Bibliotheca Scriptorum Graecorum et Latinorum Teubneriana’, accompanied by a study of the manuscript tradition and a complete commentary. He has studied the history of ancient grammatical doctrines, various traditions of classical and humanistic texts, and the history and figures of classical studies. He has contributed to various volumes: L. Canali et al., Camena. Letteratura latina, Milan 2005 (vol. I. Le origini e l’età arcaica); Ingenium et ars, Milan 2014 (1. L’età repubblicana); Lo spazio letterario di Roma antica, vol. VI. I testi: 1. La poesia; vol. VII. The texts: 2. Prose, editor P. Parroni, edited by A. Fusi-A. Luceri-P. Parroni-G. Piras, Rome 2009-2012; Labor in studiis. Writings on philology in honor of Piergiorgio Parroni, edited by G. Piras, Rome 2014; Reconstructing the Republic: Varro and Imperial Authors (Rome, September 22–23, 2016), ed. by V. Arena & G. Piras, in Res publica litterarum 39, 2016, 89–221; Comparing Greek Colonies: Mobility and Settlement Consolidation from Southern Italy to the Black Sea (8th – 6th Century BC). Proceedings of the International Conference (Rome, November 7–9, 2018), edited by C. Colombi, V. Parisi, O. Dally, M. Guggisberg, and G. Piras, Berlin-Boston 2022; The Historical Review of Sparta, edited by G. Piras and R. Sassu, Rome 2022-2023; Sebastiano Timpanaro Scevola Mariotti Correspondence (1944-1999), edited by P. Parroni, with the collaboration of G. Donati and G. Piras, Pisa 2023; Forum. Structures, Functions, and Development of Forensic Facilities in Italy (4th Century BC – 1st Century AD). Conference Proceedings (Rome – Sapienza University of Rome, December 9, 2013 British School at Rome, December 10, 2013), edited by A. Mastrocinque, G. Piras, Ch. Smith, Rome 2024. Since 1993, he has been part of research groups funded by various institutions (MIUR, CNR, University). He is editor of The Fragments of the Roman Republican Antiquarians (FRRAnt) as part of the ERC 2019 project directed by Valentina Arena (Oxford University). Since 2011, he has been a member of the doctoral college in Philology and History of the Ancient World. He was editor-in-chief of the journal Scienze dell’Antichità and is a member of the editorial board of that journal as well as that of Res publica litterarum. He is a member of the Lorenzo Valla Foundation and the Verein zur Förderung der Christlichen Archäologie Österreichs, a member of the Executive Council of the International Association of Classical Archaeology, the Scientific Committee of the Certamen Ciceronianum Arpinas, Honorary Senior Research Fellow of the Department of History at University College London, and a corresponding member of the German Archaeological Institute. He was a member of the Academic Senate of La Sapienza University, director of the Department of Ancient Sciences, and a member of the Department Council, the Faculty of Arts and Philosophy Council, and the University Teaching Commission.
Important: Welcome to Our New Venue
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Thank you for your understanding and cooperation. We look forward to welcoming you and hope you have a fantastic time.
