OXFORD, Miss. – A world renowned scholar in Italian studies
visits the University of Mississippi Monday (Nov. 5) to
discuss Francesco Petrarca (known in English as Petrarch),
a major figure in the Italian Renaissance.
Speaking at 6:30 p.m. in Bondurant Auditorium, Diego
Zancani has titled his address “Renaissance Misogyny and
the Rejection of Petrarch.” The free, public program is
UM’s 47th annual Christopher Longest Lecture.
A widely published author of Italian poetry, language and
culture of the Renaissance period, Zancani is a Fellow of
Balliol College at Oxford University. His research
interests include the history of Italian language and
dialects, and the history of early printing, as well as
Renaissance literature and Italian courts. He received the
equivalent of a doctoral degree in foreign languages from
Bocconi University in Milan in 1967.
“We are truly honored and excited to receive Professor
Zancani as our Longest lecturer,” said Donald Dyer, chair
of modern languages. “Italian studies is a less common
offering in this series, and his expertise and engaging
style will make this a special event.”
UM faculty member Angela Tumini, professor of Italian and
European film studies, learned firsthand of Zancani’s
expertise when he served as her doctoral thesis adviser at
Oxford University.
“Dr. Zancani’s lecture will provide a better understanding
of Italian society during the Renaissance and how women
were regarded during that time,” Tumini said. “He’s a very
entertaining speaker.”
The Christopher Longest Lecture series was established at
UM in 1960 by Ann Waller Reins Longest, in recognition of
Christopher Longest’s distinguished service to the
university from 1908 to 1951 in the departments of Classics
and Modern Languages. The annual lectures are delivered by
scholars in the fields of the modern languages and English
literature.
For more information or assistance related to a disability,
call 662-915-7298. To learn more about UM’s departments of
Classics and Modern Languages, visit
http://www.olemiss.edu/depts/classics/
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