May 25th at 6 PM
The Italian Cultural Institute of Washington, in collaboration with the Embassy of Italy, present “An American Manzoni: The New Translation of I Promessi Sposi”, a conversation with Dr. Michael Moore, renowned translator and interpreter of Italian texts, and Professor Armando Maggi, professor and author of multiple volumes and essays on Renaissance, Baroque, and modern culture.
Join us for a conversation with the author of this new translation, who has dedicated several years to completing this version of “I promessi sposi”, “The Betrothed”, with the intent of offering a more modern reading of this historical romance, as, he contends, was the intention of its original author, Alessandro Manzoni.
During the evening, we will also have the opportunity to exchange views with Professor Armando Maggi, who, as an expert of romance languages at the University of Chicago, is often engaged in finding innovative ways to promote literature among our youngest generations.
On the occasion of the 150th anniversary of Alessandro Manzoni’s departure, the evening intends to underline the author’s extraordinary relevance within Italian culture and to highlight how his masterpiece, a novel written in 1821, could still nowadays represent an opportunity to acquire a deeper understanding of Italy.
LOCATION
Embassy of Italy
3000 Whitehaven Street NW
Washington, DC 20008
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REGISTRATION REQUIRED AND ACCEPTED EXCLUSIVELY THROUGH EVENTBRITE
ABOUT “I PROMESSI SPOSI”, “THE BETROTHED”
“I promessi sposi”, “The Betrothed”, is a historical novel focusing on two inhabitants of XVII century Lecco, Renzo and Lucia, soon to be married. Their upcoming wedding is hindered by Don Rodrigo, a corrupt local nobleman infatuated of Lucia, and by the lack of courage of Don Abbondio, the village parish priest.
The young couple’s story is the pretext to explore XVII century societal issues, as they reflects those of Manzoni’s own times.
ABOUT ALESSANDRO MANZONI
Alessandro Manzoni is an Italian novelist best known for his historical novel “I Promessi Sposi” (I.e. The Betrothed). He was born in Milan in 1785 and died on May 22, in 1873, 150 years ago. Manzoni was also a poet, prolific essayist, and playwright. In his life and in his writing, he was committed to the cause of Italian independence and the forging of a modern Italian identity, culture, and language. His creative work was all done between 1812 and 1827, after which he was mainly absorbed in linguistic studies. An ardent patriot, Manzoni was a supporter of the movement for the liberation and unification of Italy.
ABOUT DR. MICHAEL MOORE
For many years, Michael F. Moore served as the Chair of the PEN Translation Committee and, subsequently, as the Chair of the Advisory Board of the PEN/Heim Translation Grant. He was also the staff interpreter and translator of the Italian Mission to the United Nations. His published translations range across genres, from modern classics to contemporary fiction and non-fiction, including, most recently: “The Betrothed”, by Alessandro Manzoni; “The Drowned and the Saved”, by Primo Levi; “Agostino”, by Alberto Moravia; “Quiet Chaos”, by Sandro Veronesi; and “Live Bait”, by Fabio Genovesi. He is currently working on a new translation of Moravia’s short story collection, “Rome Tales”.
He received his Ph.D. in Italian studies from New York University, with a thesis on Petrarch commentaries in the fifteenth century.
ABOUT PROFESSOR ARMANDO MAGGI
Armando Maggi is the Arthur and Joann Rasmussen Professor in Western Civilization in the Department of Romance Languages and Literatures at the University of Chicago. He is the author of multiple volumes and essays on Renaissance, Baroque, and modern culture, with special emphasis on religious studies. He is the co-editor-in-chief of the journal “Studi pasoliniani”. Among his latest essays are works on Tasso’s poetic self-commentary, our contemporary reception of Pasolini’s documentary “The Walls of Sana’a”, and essays on Ariosto’s “Orlando furioso” and Marino’s “Adone”.