This open seminar in Italian Studies at the University of Edinburgh connects and celebrates three important anniversaries: the European Treaty of Rome (1957), Ovid’s bimillennium, and the first translation in print of Ovid’s Metamorphoses in Renaissance Italy (1497). The study of the early-modern interpretations, translations, and adaptations of the founding myth of Europa, as told in the Metamorphoses, will lead to a broader discussion on the creation of a European cultural identity and the meaning of this myth today.
This open seminar is part of the project Europa Project: Tradition as Transformation, which engages undergraduate and graduate students in Italian at the University of Edinburgh with the study of the myth in performance, questioning its significant associations with issues of migration, gender, and ethnicity. The guiding ethos of this project is the conviction that myths of origins must be constantly challenged and re-interpreted in a collective, critical, and creative effort to generate more inclusive and progressive narratives, fostering a transformative relationship to cultural traditions.
The event is organised by Dr Davide Messina and Dr Carlo Pirozzi, University of Edinburgh, with the kind support of the Italian Institute of Culture, Edinburgh.
You can find the programme here