mapping the journey
Fragments and Memories
Academia is something complex. We often focus only on the material (books) and immaterial (philosophy) aspects of its professional part (research and teaching). Yet academia is also made of places, people, laughs, smells, desperation, and joy. This section of Potestas Essendi is dedicated to the latter set.
Academia led me to beautiful places, fascinating people, bizarre experiences, and many good friends. Instead of keeping all this out of the spotlight (like if it were either a distraction or a mere accident), I decided to preserve the memories of all wild days of academia well aware that any one of them, in direct or obliquitous way, has uniquely contributed to my journey and to making me a better scholar and a better person. My gratitude to all friends and colleagues who, without knowing it, appear in this section.
Messina
July 2026
The semester ended with Mondi in sequenza, held at the Funside comic shop in Messina. The event brought together philosophy, comics, manga, animation, and science fiction, exploring how sequential images can construct worlds and give visible form to philosophical and political questions. We were joined by a very special guest, Marco Pellitteri, whose expertise and enthusiasm made the conversation incredibly rich.
What made the evening truly memorable was the audience. A remarkable number of young people from Messina took part, listened, asked questions, and remained engaged throughout the discussion. For one evening, the comic shop became a crowded and energetic space of philosophical exchange, where academic analysis could encounter forms of storytelling that are too often dismissed as merely popular entertainment.
The success of the event showed that there is a real appetite in Messina for occasions of this kind. Philosophy does not always need a lecture hall. Some discussions become more vivid when they take place among shelves filled with comics, games, and imagined worlds. Mondi in sequenza clearly deserves a sequel!
České Budějovice
June 2026
June carried me to České Budějovice in Czechia. The fabulous Daniel Heider invited me to teach a seminar there, but the visit soon became much more than a formal academic engagement. The discussions with colleagues and students were thoughtful, generous, and full of unexpected turns. My friend Ryuta Ishida also came to České Budějovice, and we spent some memorable time together discussing medieval philosophy, Japan, and Europe. The city itself provided a magnificent setting. Between academic conversations, I had time to wander through its streets, admire its spacious squares and architecture, and conduct some serious comparative research into Czech beer, including a visit to the Budvar brewery. The results were highly persuasive.
České Budějovice was both a delightful journey and a genuinely productive philosophical encounter. I hope it will prove to be the first step towards a much closer and more substantial collaboration between our two universities.
MESSINA
June 2026
This semester marked the beginning of the Confucius-Aquinas reading group. Our original plan was rather ambitious: to read the whole of Confucius’s Analects during the spring and place the text in conversation with Thomas Aquinas. By late June, however, we had reached only Book Four. Confucius proved resistant to haste!
The slow pace was ultimately one of the group’s greatest strengths. Even very short passages generated long discussions about learning, ritual, virtue, friendship, government, exemplary conduct, and the difficult relationship between personal cultivation and political order. We now have plenty of Confucius, Aquinas, and discussion waiting for us in the new academic year.
Lecce
May 2026
One of this semester’s journeys took me to Lecce, where I had the pleasure of teaching a seminar and spending time with colleagues and students in an exceptionally welcoming academic environment. The visit offered everything one could reasonably hope for: stimulating discussions, generous hospitality, excellent food, and the extraordinary architecture and light of the Salento. Yet the most rewarding part was the seminar itself. The questions soon moved beyond the prepared material and led us towards broader problems concerning medieval philosophy, the interpretation of historical texts, and the ways in which earlier conceptual debates can still challenge contemporary assumptions.
My friend Nadia Bray was a superb host. We visited the coast, which was magnificent, and spent hour after hour discussing theories of matter, hylomorphism, contemporary philosophy of science, and metaphysics. It was a remarkably productive encounter between different ideas and perspectives, opening many new possibilities that we hope to explore together very soon. Lecce is an extraordinary place, and I sincerely hope to return before too long.
MESSINA
SPRING 2026
Spring and early summer brought several old and new friends to Messina. Johnny Morton, John Patrick Mulhall, and Alessandro Mulieri joined us for a series of fascinating seminars and conversations, each opening a different path through medieval philosophy, intellectual history, and politics. Alessandro’s visit also gave us the opportunity to discuss his latest book, a provocative exploration of the relationship between political thought and technological change.
Late April also saw the workshop Trasformare la materia, organised with Grégory Clesse. Friends and colleagues from Belgium and Italy came together to examine the many implications of material transformation in medieval thought. We discussed generation, mixture, corruption, alchemy, and the conceptual difficulties involved in explaining how matter can change while retaining some form of continuity.
MESSINA
March 2026
MESSINA
December 2025
BEIJING
October 2025
The two months I spent in Beijing were simply spectacular. On the one hand, this was the third year in a row that I returned to the city, and by now Beijing feels familiar. I have friends there, small habits that have settled in, and a growing intimacy with the city that lets me move through it with ease. On the other hand, years of studying Chinese are finally starting to pay off. I can now speak, still at a basic level, and read enough to get around independently, explore, and fully enjoy the extraordinary pleasures of this city. Beijing is beginning to feel like a second home.
The course itself went incredibly well, possibly the best teaching experience I have had so far. The students were marvellous and sharp-minded, and they never ceased to amaze me throughout what was a long and demanding programme. Outside the classroom, I managed to explore lesser-known parts of the city: temples, parks, and hutongs far from the usual tourist routes. Simply gorgeous. The icing on the cake was sharing part of this time with friends: first Peter, with whom I even slid our way down the Great Wall, and then Shahab.
It was an intense and rewarding experience, so much so that I am already missing Beijing deeply. China is a remarkable country, and I have often been struck by how similar Chinese and Italians are, both culturally and socially. In fact, it is one of the cultures that has felt closest to my own. Of course, there is the shared love of good food, and the central role of family and friendships. But there is something more profound at work. It is a shared way of looking at the world and, above all, at other human beings as members of a collectivity. It is a sense of humaneness: the impulse to help, to care, to remain attentive to one another. This was once (and in great part still is) a defining trait of Italian culture. Yet sadly, it is slowly fading, eroded by sterile individualism and destructive competition. From this perspective, every trip to China feels, in some way, like travelling back to an earlier Italy, not so long ago, and unexpectedly finding home where it once was.
Despite the persistent anti-Chinese propaganda, despite media-driven biases amplified by both distant and close partners, and despite the many problems that inevitably accompany any form of human government, I can think of few experiences more illuminating and rewarding than spending time in China. To encounter this unique blend of the unfamiliar and the deeply recognisable is a rare privilege. For that reason, I consider myself immensely lucky to have lived it.
By the way, if you want to see (some) of the pictures I have taken during this memorable trip, you can find them here.
TOKYO
October 2025
What a fascinating experience my first trip to Japan has been! I was truly delighted to give a lecture at the Mita Philosophical Society and to teach a seminar at Keio University: both occasions offered unique and highly stimulating discussions on the manifold interpretations of hylomorphism in the Middle Ages. I am immensely grateful to Yoshi Ueeda for the invitation – a first step, I hope, towards a more structured set of collaborations with our Japanese colleagues. Indeed, this short visit (barely ten days) proved instrumental in making several new friends (and in meeting again some of the oldest ones, particularly Mario), with some of whom we are already planning promising new collaborations.
My brief stay in Tokyo could not have been more packed with Japanese experiences: people everywhere (I have never seen so many in my life), rules that one sometimes struggles to understand, delicious food (sushi, wagyu beef, and pufferfish), karaoke with friends, and the overwhelming visual and auditory stimuli of Shibuya and Shinjuku. Yet I was even luckier, in a way, since I also experienced an earthquake striking in the middle of the night – waking me up in panic – as well as a typhoon alert threatening my flight back to Beijing. In sum, a complete, remarkable, and at times absurd experience whose memories I will treasure. So many highlights in so little time, including my participation in the Tokyo Philosophical Meet-up, which offered me some truly precious insights into how philosophy can (and should) be better integrated into our societies.
BEIJING
September 2025
Happy teachers’ day from Beijing, where we’re having a lot of fun delving into scholastic hylomorphism from a multitude of perspectives!
MESSINA
July 2025
The second semester of the academic year passed very quickly and pleasantly. It began with the first series of seminars in medieval philosophy, inaugurated by Marilena Panarelli, who spoke to us about medicine and metaphysics in the Middle Ages. This was followed by other seminars delivered by Grégory Clesse, Vincenzo Carlotta, and Francesca Galli. We also had the great pleasure of hearing Nicola Milanesi present the latest results of his research on Francisco Suárez. Finally, the semester concluded with the wonderful visiting professorship of Anna Marmodoro, who treated us to a brilliant seminar on essentialism, along with many moments of great enjoyment and philosophical delights. And this is only the beginning: major plans are taking shape for the next academic year.
MESSINA
December 2024
The first course I taught in Messina has come to an end. I dare say we had a great time exploring the intricacies of medieval theories of matter. All the students survived this adventure, which is already an accomplishment they should be proud of (just kidding, they actually seemed quite intrigued!). For me, the course has been yet another confirmation of how medieval philosophy provides a fantastic opportunity for students to engage hands-on with philosophical arguments, problems, and theories. These may be complex, but they are also immensely rewarding for the students.
MESSINA
November 2024
Have you ever wondered how medieval people visualised concepts such as matter, form, nature, and more? Well, Serena and I certainly have. That’s why we organised a workshop dedicated specifically to this fascinating topic. Glimpses of the Invisible took place at the end of November, simultaneously in Córdoba and Messina. It was a resounding success – one of the most engaging workshops I’ve ever attended. As usual, I’ve added a few shots from the event here, though they can only capture a fraction of the fun we had!
BEIJING
November 2024
I wasn’t expecting to return to Beijing so soon after my visiting stay at USTB in 2023, which made this trip all the more special. I was invited by Tianyue Wu and Peking University to participate in the World Conference of Classics, an impressive academic gathering organised by the Chinese government. Without a doubt, it was the most extraordinary and luxurious scholarly event I’ve ever attended. In China, they truly know how to leave a lasting impression!
Before the conference (held at the stunning Yanqi Lake), I spent a few days in Beijing catching up with dear friends. We also had a fantastic Mongolian hot pot meal that I will fondly remember for many, many years! This time, navigating Beijing felt much easier. My Chinese lessons are starting to pay off, and I managed to have brief conversations with locals. Moreover, I was already familiar with how things work in the city, which allowed me to simply enjoy the breathtaking beauty of Beijing’s autumn and find peace in the sight of countless ginkgo trees adorned with golden leaves.
The World Conference of Classics was undoubtedly the highlight of my trip. It was a truly massive event and I had the opportunity to meet numerous colleagues from across the globe and make some new friends. The organisation was exceptional. To give you an idea, each session room (with multiple panels running concurrently) had simultaneous interpreters, along with one or two photographers taking shots all day long. Outside the rooms, a host of journalists conducted interviews and filmed videos. It felt like being at a United Nations assembly.
Nowhere in Europe or the US would a humanities conference receive such attention. To be completely honest (though I know this may raise some eyebrows), I must admit that no Western politician (aside, perhaps, Mattarella) would ever deliver such inspiring remarks about our academic mission as those expressed by President Xi in his letter to the conference attendees, alongside speeches by other Chinese government officials. As I said, I know some readers of this post may find this statement problematic. Those who know me well are aware of my political positions (and also my openness to consider different perspectives). Regardless, my point here is slightly different: China is the only country actively championing the study of the past, treating it as a vital endeavour that must be carefully cultivated to foster a renewed sense of global belonging. I couldn’t agree more, and I believe most readers – regardless of nationality or political leanings – would acknowledge the significance of this.
However, this is not the place to delve into such critical matters concerning our philosophical and historical practices. Back to the main point: my trip to Beijing was nothing short of pure, unadulterated joy.
MESSINA
October 2024
The new academic year has just begun in Messina. I am still getting accustomed to the new environment of my professional life, but I can already say that being here is both an immense joy and a great honour. My colleagues are simply fantastic, and the students are sharp and highly motivated. So far, the transition has been an outstanding experience, and I can only anticipate it will continue to improve.
In this context, I can think of nothing more fitting than having my good friend Abel Aravena Zamora visit Messina as the first academic guest of my tenure here. We had a wonderful time exploring Messina and the Strait together. Abel also delivered an excellent lecture on the circulation of scholars and books between Italy and Chile at the dawn of the modern era. It was an enriching and enjoyable experience all around!
LEUVEN
Winter 2024
After nearly four years, the time has come for me to leave Leuven. The time I spent here has been the most splendid, creative, and proactive period of my career to date. Belgium treated me awesomely.
I will miss so many things – mentioned extemporaneously and in random order: the cycling races (especially, the Flèche Wallonne: sorry, Flemish friends!), the croquettes at Madam Kroket in Ostende, having a real Stella in Grote Markt, indulging in a slice of deliciously green Pandan cake, the manyfold ways in which one can prepare Stoovlees (and most importantly, eat it), and so much more. Yet, above all, it is the friends that I have made in Leuven and across Belgium that I will miss the most: I have been so lucky to have crossed paths with each and every one of them. It has been a daring, brilliant adventure that I will cherish and treasure for years to come, as I now look forward to a warmer future along the coast of Sicily.
MESSINA
January 2024
A cause for celebration: on 8 January 2024, I have started my new permanent position as Associate Professor of Medieval Philosophy at the University of Messina! After years of uncertainty while navigating through different corners of Europe, unsure of when or if tenure would materialise, words now fall short in capturing the immense joy I feel. Messina is a beautiful town in Sicily and, although moving there will require some time (a couple of months, I guess), I am already picturing myself living the good life in such a splendid environment!
Yet, in this moment of celebration, my thoughts go to all the colleagues, friends, and family who supported me during these challenging years, especially in the darkest hours when all efforts and sacrifices seemed to have been a waste of time and the idea of a career in academia a foolish choice. The bitter taste of those moments – their stingy memory – will forever serve as a poignant reminder of the responsibilities we have to embrace to make academia more open, inclusive, and equal: an instrument of social mobility and cultural emancipation to build together something better.
BEIJING
December 2023
After spending almost a month in China, I am going back to Europe. This has been the most rewarding academic experience of my career and the most beautiful, exciting, and intellectually stimulating journey I have ever had. Words fall short in expressing my gratitude to Shixiang Jin and USTB for their invitation to Beijing. The seminar at USTB went incredibly well and we delved into the intricacies of scholastic natural philosophy with great fun. I am also deeply thankful to Tianyue Wu, Che Jiang, and Thierry Meynard for inviting me to give lectures at their departments and for the amazing discussions that ensued.
During the weeks I spent in China, Shixiang (and Bichen) treated me like royalty. We explored incredible places, met brilliant colleagues, made new friends, and tried delicious food (some of which remains a mystery to me – yet, a delicious mystery). We had so much fun together! However, the real point, the thing that matters the most, is another one. Academia thrives on collaborations, and the most effective collaborations are built on strong friendships. That is why I am certain that the plans Shixiang and I are devising for the near (and not-so-near) future will have a lasting and profound impact on our discipline, bringing European and Chinese scholars – along with their research, expertise, and unique perspectives – closer together.
GUANGZHOU
December 2023
We made it to Guangzhou, in the deep south of China! The city is so different from Beijing: lots of people doing, selling, and eating stuff, plants and flowers that I only saw in the movies, and a marvellous river elegantly flowing through the city. It is incredibly vibrant and poetic! II had a fantastic time exploring Guangzhou with Qi Wang, a student of Thierry Meynard’s, who showed me the astonishing beauties of Canton. Needless to say, the food was amazing! While it’s somewhat similar to what we typically eat at Chinese restaurants in Europe (mostly Cantonese restaurants), it’s also distinct and sophisticated. Simply delicious!”
In Guangzhou, I have also had an incredible time engaging in discussions about the Coimbra commentary on the Physics at Sun Yat-sen University (中山大学). Thierry Meynard and Lu Jiang have been superb hosts, and we had a fantastic and lengthy discussion on interpreting hylomorphism and its role in the first encounter of European and Chinese philosophy thanks to the Jesuit missionaries (well, they were philosophers, too, inasmuch as they were interpreting comparatively European and Chinese philosophy). Simply and purely amazing!
I will spend one week in Beijing before returning to Europe. I am already feeling a sense of sadness about leaving China: this experience has been exceptional both personally and professionally.
YANGZHOU
December 2023
Shixiang and I headed to Yangzhou to meet Qinyong Fan, the third accomplice in our ambitious academic plans for the near future (more on this soon). It was my first time meeting Qinyong in person, and he is one of the smartest colleagues I’ve encountered in academia. I am sure that our collaborations will shine! Our days in Yangzhou were nothing short of spectacular. Apart from trying incredible food like dumplings and eel, we had fantastic discussions on philosophy. A highlight was our visit to the Jianzhen Library, an outstanding and beautiful place founded by the impressive Buddhist monk Hsing Yun. We also had the occasion to see some very old books and ventured to the magnificent Slender West Lake – an indescribable place that photos and words cannot do justice to: pure poetry, peace, and water. Truly incredible!
And now, it’s time to journey further south to Guangzhou, in the tropics. Not bad, especially considering that in Beijing, it was so cold I thought I was going to freeze!
QUFU
December 2023
Our journey to Southern China has started! Our first stop on the way to Guangzhou is Qufu, the hometown of Confucius. What a delight! So far, this is my favourite place among those I’ve visited in China. It’s a ‘small’ town (by Chinese standards – it’s larger than Florence), and the people here are the kindest I have ever met. They always smile at you, and everyone is eager to help. We explored the three most important Confucian sites: the Confucian temple, the mansion, and the cemetery. It has been a remarkable and outstanding experience that deeply touched my soul. Shixiang and I even paid traditional homage to Confucius at his tomb. I love visiting philosophers’ tombs, but Confucius’s is special—the atmosphere, the reverence, the specific way in which you have to kowtow to pay homage to this great figure from the past. It has been truly unique, and I will carry this experience in my heart for the rest of my life.
BEIJING
November 2023
I have arrived in Beijing for a month-long visiting stay at USTB (北京科技大学), invited by my dear friend Shixiang Jin. I have started teaching my seminar at USTB – an introduction to scholastic natural philosophy and hylomorphism. I also delivered a lecture at Peking University (北京大学), hosted by Tianyue Wu, and another one at Tsinghua University (清华大学), at the invitation of Che Jiang. I am thoroughly, utterly enjoying my time discussing hylomorphism in Beijing. The academic environment here is outstanding. The post-lecture discussions have proven to be some of the most engaging Q&A sessions I’ve ever participated in. The students here are exceptionally brilliant, motivated, and sharp. Teaching in this environment is a genuine pleasure!
This is my first time in China, and although I have been collaborating with Shixiang for many years, coming here is truly unique. I suddenly realised how little we know about China (and how much misinformation we are often fed on a daily basis in Europe). As a consequence, I was expecting Beijing to be a chaotic, grey city with a lot of smog and a hostile attitude. I could not have been more mistaken. Beijing is a beautiful city – possibly, the most beautiful city I have ever visited! With numerous parks, trees, and lakes, it is very green. During the autumn, I have the chance to appreciate a marvellous foliage of ginko trees and weeping willows that fills my heart with dense joy.
Beijingers are so friendly patient. Outside the city centre, not many people speak English, so I had to rely on my limited knowledge of Chinese. On some occasions, the resulting conversations have been fantastic, filled with authentic laughs and fun on both sides. Describing the food and beer would require a very long post (which I’ll spare you for now, but let me just say that the Beijing micro-breweries have been a delightful surprise!) as would detailing each incredible site I have visited, from the Forbidden City to the Imperial College. Instead, I’ll be sharing a few pictures that, in some ways, may better express the beauty of this enchanting place.
Shixiang is treating me like royalty, and I feel proud and fortunate for our strong friendship. It has also been a great pleasure to reunite with other friends like Keli Gao (who visited Leuven a couple of years ago) and to make new friends like Bichen Yan, who, along with Shixiang, is showing me around Beijing and introducing me to the unparalleled cathartic experience of Peking Opera.
Soon, Shixiang and I will be heading south to Qufu, Yangzhou, and Guangzhou on a trip that promises to be memorable. More updates soon!
Leuven
October 2023
It’s real! It’s here! Finally, I can see it, smell it, hold it in my hands. The volume that we craved for so long has been printed and shipped. It is a delight to see the volume dedicated to Ibn Gabirol that Federico, Marienza, and I have been editing for the past… six years! It took a very long time but it was worth it: the result is truly remarkable.
I still remember the first time I read Ibn Gabirol’s Fons vitae and how much I struggled to grasp what that all was about. I hope this volume will make life easier for those approaching this unique medieval work for the first time, like I was many years ago. Most importantly, I sincerely hope that this volume will draw further attention on such a fascinating, consequential, and yet neglected Jewish philosopher from medieval Iberia.
I should also thank Lisa Devriese for this splendid picture taken during the amazing Aristoteles Latinus conference at KU Leuven!
Leuven
October 2023
This autumn is marked by a series of drastic changes. After three years, my FWO fellowship at KU Leuven has come to an end. It has been a splendid and exciting experience that has reshaped me as both a scholar and a person. It is difficult to recall all that happened during the past three years. I vividly remember when I moved to Leuven from Berlin and the rush to finish settling in before a new lockdown started (which indeed happened only a few days after the move). I spent the first year of the fellowship mostly at home during the challenging times of the pandemic. When I was not at home, I was meeting the only colleague I got to know, Christophe, who is now one of my closest friends. The pandemic also brought some positive aspects with its waves of destruction. I will never forget our weekly lunches – a sandwich often eaten while standing at the centre of an empty Ladeuzeplein, which was only filled by our plans, ideas, and concerns.
As the pandemic slowly faded away, things changed. New people joined the group, and now it was possible to meet and do things together. Finally, the students came back, and the town transformed into something else – a new place crowded with young people filling cafes, bookshops, and classrooms. When face masks stopped being mandatory, one could finally see the faces of those people you used to know but actually did not know (how can you truly know someone when their expressions, smiles, and unspoken thoughts are concealed by a piece of cloth?). Life was re-emerging from the pandemic, and suddenly, everything changed.
I am immensely grateful to all the friends I met at the Institute of Philosophy for the many amazing experiences we had together and for the gradual rediscovery of life without ‘the virus’. One of the most challenging aspects of this job is moving from place to place every few years, leaving behind the people you care about – friends, colleagues, collaborators. I have come to learn that being away does not necessarily mean ending a friendship or hindering a promising collaboration. In many ways, distance can strengthen what is rooted on solid ground. For this reason, I am certain that many of the people I encountered during my time in Leuven will remain in my life, while all the new knowledge I have acquired will stay with me for years to come.
My time in Leuven is coming to an end, and something new is beginning – something truly beautiful. I have just started my Marie Curie fellowship at the University of Porto, where I will be implementing a research project that I cherish very. much: HYLOGLOB. If I manage to survive the complexities of European bureaucracy, this promises to be a splendid experience, and I cannot wait to dive into it. Moreover, the MSCA Fellowship has kicked off in a particularly exciting manner, with a secondment at UCLouvain until January 2024. Going from KU Leuven to UC Louvain feels like a fitting change of affiliations. Working with Jacob Schmutz is a great pleasure, both intellectually and on a personal level. I have already started to meet some of my new colleagues, including those I already know, such as my good friend Grégory, and I am getting to know their fascinating research areas.
This autumn promises to be fantastic. I am already working on my new project with great excitement while enjoying the treats of UCLouvain and UPorto. I am still living in Leuven and teaching once again in the Common Seminar with Russ, this time with a large class of proactive, engaged students. Additionally, I will be travelling to China for a month, invited by my friend Shixiang. This is bound to be a uniquely thrilling experience that will bring about many changes in the short term.
LONDON
July 2023
I still remember that day as if it were yesterday. A cloudy day in early February 2020. I was in Oxford for an academic visiting stay and, out. of precaution, I had decided. not to participate in a conference in Porto where I was supposed to go. Covid was looming from afar. Yet that day was a special day. Rosie, Tom, and I met to plan a series of events disentangling the complexity of the notion of emergence from different scientific, philosophical, and artistic angles. We had such a great plan. Then, the pandemic happened and it disrupted everything.
Let’s jump back to July 2023. More than three years have passed since that cloudy day in Oxford. And finally, Rosie and I have met again. Pure enchantment and delight: I have no other words to describe my work meetings with Rosie. For now, let me just say that we are back on track: you will see what this means very soon!
LEEDS
July 2023
IMC Leeds 2023: this year, we came well prepared. The idea was to organise a whole day of panels on medieval philosophy broadly conceived. Grégory, Antonella, and I started to plan this almost a year ago. Eventually, we joined our forces with João and Paula from Porto and we made it: one day and a half of discussions on a vast array of philosophical topics.
IMC Leeds is always a reinvigorating experience: a full immersion into the complex richness of the Middle Ages. This time around, it has also been an occasion to meet old and new friends, some of which for the first time after the pandemic. Most importantly, our mini-event on philosophy has been a great success! In particular, the round table sponsored by IPM Monthly has displayed both urgency and necessity of a wide, open discussion on the methods, aims, and branding of our beloved discipline. More about this will follow.
UPPER GALILEE
June 2023
From Istanbul, my spring trip took me to Israel – the second time this year. Yael Kedar and Giora Hon had organised a workshop in Tel Hai dedicated to quantity and mathematisation of philosophy and science.
The workshop has been spectacular: utterly fantastic! And while it is true that I may be biased (Yael and Giora are good friends of mine and I definitely love Israel), they just organised something so unique and exciting that made this meeting the best conference I have ever participated in. The participants were all splendid scholars and their talks were just excellent (and on top of that, the atmosphere was so friendly). But to understand why the conference was so magnificent, let me recall the excursions that Yael and Giora had planned: Ghajar, the Hula Valley, a real kibbutz, the Sea of Galilee. It has been demanding (I was exhaused after 20 days of travel) yet incredible.
I stop here because I could go on and recall all details of this fantastic trip, which would be too much for this section, whose main items are visual. Let me just mention that the last day in Tel Aviv we incidentally coincided with the Pride and – oh boy! – it was gorgeous!
ISTANBUL
May 2023
From Stockholm, I flew to Istanbul to participate in the summer meeting of the Aquinas and the Arabs Working Group. This year, the yearly meeting has been organised by Rahim Acar at Marmara University.
Istanbul is charming as usual: a melting-pot of smells and beliefs, flavours and stories bridging Europe and Asia. The conference went well and it merged different disciplinary perspectives on philosophy and theology in Islam and Christianity. Although this is not properly my “cup of tea” (or glass, since we are in Turkey), it has been very nice to explore different ways to conceptualise the human strive to understand the hidden structure and meaning of the universe. In addition, we have had some amazing discussions of the methodology of doing history of philosophy, which is a topic very dear to me.
STOCKHOLM
May 2023
This year, my schedule for the conference season (roughly between the end of May and early July) is wild at best. The first stop is beautiful Stockholm, where I participated in the magnificent conference on the mechanization of natural philosophy organised by Henrik Lagerlund and Sylvain Roudaut.
Stockholm is always enchanting – and far better in the summer than during autumn! Yet, the best part of it was the conference itself. A spectacular roster of scholars working on late medieval and early modern philosophy discussing inter-related aspects of the conception of nature. It has been amazing and I have learnt so much while enjoying the company of old and new friends.
I hope many of the discussions that started in Stockholm will go ahead in the near future. The passage from second scholasticism to the early modernity is so nuanced and gradual that we should perhaps leave aside these labels (and many others) and try to build a different approach to the way we do history of philosophy (and its related historiography).
TRANSYLVANIA
May 2023
Elena Baltuta invited me to give a lecture in Cluj. It was my first time in Romania and I was much curious. It was divine. The group in Cluj is truly impressive. We have had a fantastic discussion of my paper (on Zabarella and prime matter) that continued over a delicious dinner and incredible beer (and I say this living in Belgium). Truly remarkable.
Cluj has been a huge surprise. The town is beautiful and it would have been worth spending more time to visit a bit of Transylvania: I will go back for some tourism some day. Especially because the food – oh boy! – it is incredible. Romania is definitely one of the countries I have best eaten to date. I simply could not stop eating papanasi! And the meat they cook… and the cabbage… everything tasted like heaven!
Yet the best thing of the whole trip was to spend time with Elena discussing medieval philosophy and the meaning of things. I guess we all have some people with whom dialogues become acts of speculative creation. Elena is to me one of those rare people with whom whole universes are shaped and reshaped, down to the last block.
LEUVEN
April 2023
Abel Aravena Zamora is visiting Leuven! We are planning great, amazing stuff for the near and not-so-near future. I won’t spoil you the surprise. I am always so impressed by colonial scholasticism. Abel is doing a fabulous job with the Chilean manuscripts and some of the things that are emerging will drastically change the way we look at scholasticism as a whole, once we will be able to overcome the implicit Eurocentrism that still marks part of our field.
Leuven
April 2023
Yael Kedar, Giora Hon, and Elena Baltuta came to Leuven for a three-days full immersion on Roger Bacon. The meeting was sponsored by Yael’s and Giora’s ISF research grant “Certainty without doubt and truth without error”: The Mathematical Epistemology of Roger Bacon, which they are implementing in Haifa and Tel Hai. We have had some great time together discussing some extremely difficult theories elaborated by Bacon and trying to understand their implications when Bacon’s thought is considered holistically.
Elena also gave a fantastic talk on Bacon’s theory of species and what is their role in human cognition. Research meetings like this are fundamental: they are the best way to tackle difficult problems together, each one of us offering her expertise and unique point of view. And they should definitely happen more often.
HELSINKI
February 2023
“Helsinki is beautiful in February, you will see”, Serena Masolini told me a few months ago. And it was beautiful indeed: cold, snowy, and stormy. I have spent a few memorable days there discussing prime matter and hylomorphism with some of the sharpest minds working on these issues.
Many thanks to Serena, Filipe, and Luciano for inviting me to the workshop (most of which I had to miss because of Lufthansa) and to Ritva for her invitation to present my work on Toletus at her monthly seminar. And thanks especially to the many reindeers that I could taste in Helsinki and the anonymous inventor of Salmiakki, which are so addictive and delicious… I have had some splendid time in Helsinki, seeing old friends (including Jukka) and meeting new ones, and I hope I will be back soon: only this time during the summer!
ISRAEL
January 2023
I just came back from Israel after eight days of summerish weather, stimulating conversations, and utter fun. It has been a tough work trip (three lectures in two days and many research meetings), but it has also been a true delight. It was my first time in Israel, and I must confess that it has been a remarkable experience.
Academically, it gave me the invaluable opportunity to expand on the lines of my research with experts from three different universities (Bar Ilan, Haifa, and Tel Hai). The questions and remarks by both scholars and students offered tremendous insights and new angles to look at the problems I am currently tackling (hylomorphism, prime matter, cross-cultural accommodation). After the long years of Covid, I almost forgot how important these moments of confrontation and debate are.
The days I spent with Yael Kedar were packed with ideas, problems, discussions, and new interpretations of our dear Roger Bacon and his puzzling stances. It’s been a reinvigorating intellectual activity that will soon lead to an ambitious article that Yael and I are writing. And seeing old friends like Yehuda Halper and Yael Barash filled my heart with joy and my mind with more projects and ideas for the near future.
Yet, leaving academia aside for one moment, the most surprising and rewarding experience of this trip was to discover Israel, a land of which so much is said yet not much is known. Notwithstanding all the tensions and problems of that land, the things that I have brought back with me are the colours of the raging winter sea, the taste of spices and food (I will dream of it for months!) that are so unique you can’t even tell what they are, and the so many casual conversations with complete strangers that after a while it is like you have known them for very long.
A unique amalgamation of perceptual and intellectual variations that engulfs anyone passing by and has the power to transform you from within.
LEUVEN
December 2022
My third (and probably last) autumn in Leuven has been a feast. Now that the pandemic seems to be over, academic life has come back to normal. Classes and conferences are in person once again. The Institute of Philosophy is enlivened by students and colleagues. Pubs, bars, and restaurants are crowded and I can finally see what Leuven must have been before the viral disaster of the past two years. As a result, the past four months went by as if they were weeks – and now I just have to cope with the fact that 2022 is almost over!
The highlights of the season were the Common Seminar that I co-taught with Russ (this year, the students were truly remarkable) and the annual meeting of SOFIME that this year took place in Leuven (we delved into the Avicenna Latinus: amazing). As a whole, these months were packed with new ideas and interpretations, casual chats and adventures with friends and colleagues, new acquaintances and perspectives. A brilliant period whose sweet flavour, nonetheless, is blended with a drop of bitterness and the growing awareness that change is looming and ineluctable.
CORDOBA
November 2022
I have spent a week in Cordoba to visit Pedro and Lourdes and teach my course for the MA in Religious Pluralism (a splendid programme: more info here). Cordoba is always a source of great joy: the people, the places, the food… everything is exceptional there! The last time I was in Spain was before the pandemic and I have to admit I was not aware of how much I was missing that country until I came back.
After many years working far from the warm South, I suddenly realised how I miss the sight of olive trees and vineyards and how I long for sunny days and casual chats with strangers. Pedro and I also had an interview in a real recording studio (what a memorable experience!) and I have had the opportunity to discover a new part of Cordoba that I did not know. A sweet trip to Andalusia: exactly what I needed in this long and dark Autumn.
PARIS
August 2022
The SIEPM congress in Paris has been a huge success: sincerely, the best congress I have attended, ever! Perhaps, it was the town, Paris, which is always enchanting. Or maybe it was the opportunity to see so many friends and colleagues after the challenging years of the pandemic. Or it might have been the superb organisation of the congress let by Monica Brinzei. Anyway, I had not have so much fun (and intellectual stimulation) in years. The hylomorphism panels went tremendously well and the RBRS panels were incredible. As usual, I am adding a few photos from Paris, mostly of people – with these kinds of meetings, people are always the best part!
LEUVEN
Spring 2022
With the pandemic finally fading away (let’s hope so), the academic migration for conferences and meetings is possible again! Thanks to it, I have been able to see many friends that I last saw before the tragic events of 2020. A few shots from a sweet spring in Leuven, looking forward to a normalisation of things, at least in the academy. And yes, I have grown a moustache!
SWEDEN
November 2021
Frozen trip to Sweden: I have been invited by Jenny Pelletier to give a paper at the Medieval Philosophy Seminar in Gothenburg. What a rewarding experience: Christina, Jenny, and the students were fantastic. And I had a lot of fun at dinner with the students, finding out about weird Swedish stuff.
After Gothenburg, I went to Stockholm to meet with Sylvain Roudaut and talk about the organisation of our conference on hylomorphism and corpuscularism in April. What a beautiful town! Yet meeting Sylvain in person after months of Zoom meetings has been the most remarkable experience. Will the pandemic ever end? It is weird how little things that once were so common and even banal, like meeting a friend abroad, have now become unique experiences to cherish and treasure.
BERLIN
August 2021
After a long year of semi-lockdown in Leuven, I have made it back to Berlin. Mattia and I had to work on the final manuscript of our volume, which Routledge is dearly expecting. A few days of intense work with remarkable results: the volume is going to be amazing!
I have had some time to meet with friends, too. And appreciate how Berlin has changed during this past year, yet it has not changed at all. Something has surely changed: the Humboldt Forum is now open, new U-Bahn stations are open as well (noticeably, “Unter den Linden”), the new airport is open, and a Bud Spencer Museum has appeared in Unter den Linden.
Yet beyond the surface, Berlin is still the one I left last year. Its relaxed avenues, its daringly open-minded approach, the constant renovations of streets and buildings (not Invalidenstrasse 110: not yet) are all still here, untouched, Berlin’s spirit being affected but not spoiled by the pandemic. And living in Leuven, that’s what I miss of this unique city – yet only sometimes (and definitely not the constant renovations!).
Leuven
December 2020
After so many socially distanced months, we all hope that 2021 will bring something different (and better) than this tormented 2020. Quite in line with the hopes of a brighter (or at least more social) future, there is some news I shall give here.
Christophe Geudens and I have started planning something new and very promising for 2021: the MeLO Seminar! The acronym stands for “Medieval Logic and Ontology” Seminar. The plan is to bring together people from all over the world to discuss papers, ideas, and new interpretations of medieval theories from these two disciplines.
Thanks to the enthusiastic replies from many friends and colleagues, the programme looks amazing (you can read it here). We are going to meet fortnightly – lots of fun ahead! If you want to participate, just drop us a line.
It is our hope that the MeLO Seminar will help to soften the loneliness of the next few months, which are going to be quite demanding, as we wait for this pandemic to end.
Brussels
December 2020
I couldn’t resist. After all, it was my first time ever. And it is so close to here. Notwithstanding the bad weather and the pandemic, guided by two brave historians of philosophy (Jenny Pelletier and Nicolas Zeks), I have finally (yet shortly) visited Brussels! Further explorations are needed in the (hopefully near) future.
During this horrible pandemic, getting onto a train for a 29km ride to Brussels seemed like a real trip! Especially thinking that this year, for the first time in 36 years, I won’t be able to spend Christmas with my family in Tuscany.
At least, 2020 will be over in a few weeks.
This makes me think back to last December, when Alexander, Pedro, and I were writing the introduction to the new issue of Revista Española de Filosofía Medieval. And I – foreseeing a bright and sweet new year – suggested to joyfully wish “a special 2020 to everyone!”
As I have recently said to Alexander and Pedro, this year I won’t write a single word of the introduction to the December 2020 issue of Revista Española de Filosofía Medieval!!
Berlin
March 2020
Finally, the first copy of my book has arrived!
BERLIN
March 2020
Oxford
January 2020
Rosie, Tom, and I had a splendid research meeting today in Oxford. A great deal of new ideas and planning for the next months. I don’t want to spoil the surprise, you will see…
Oxford
January 2020
Oxford
January 2020
OXFORD
January 2020
I will be based in Oxford for some time, visiting the Faculty of Philosophy and working with Cecilia Trifogli on theories of matter in the thirteenth century. This is going to be such a great time!!
Berlin
October 2019
The Winter Semester 2019 has just started. And with it, a fresh new reading group, this time dedicated to exploring Nicholas of Autrecourt’s Universal Treatise (more here). Also the Medieval Gatherings have started again with Elena Baltuta’s talk on Kilwardby’s intentionality of pain (you can watch the video here). The semester couldn’t have started in a better way!
London
September 2019
Terrific artistic time with Rosie Reed Gold at Tate Modern! Olafur Eliasson’s exhibition has been the most beautiful, captivating, metaphysical exhibit I have ever seen in my life. It is just unique!
My immense gratitude to Rosie for this splendid experience and her unparalleled artistic guidance! A lot of inspiration for new explorations of precarious ontologies with Rosie and the Extensions Project Group – more soon!
Berlin
August 2019
Some pictures from the formidable adventure that our summer school has been! Info and more photos are available here.
UTRECHT
July 2019
Berlin
June 2019
TOLEDO
June 2019
A multiplicity of perspectives on a very special subject – medieval Toledo. The former capital of the Visigoths. One of the most prominent cities in al-Andalus and one of the most relevant reinos de taifa. For centuries, the most important town in Castile.
Organised by Yasmine Beale-Rivaya (Texas State University) and María José Lop Otín (Universidad de Castilla La Mancha), the conference “The Multi-Cultural Borderlands of Medieval Toledo” has been a unique occasion to discuss many aspects related to the uniqueness of medieval Toledo and its borderlands. Borders – political, cultural, and religious borders – that are superseded and rediscovered within a town that was perilous and illuminated, shelter and prison, heavenly and infernal at the same time.
A unique conference for a unique subject, fascinating and intriguing. More info here. As usual, some photos of the conference and its awesome venue.
PISA
May 2019
Amazing conference in Pisa. It was the Spring conference of the AAIWG—but bigger, juicer, and more impressive, if that’s possible. For four days, we have explored the intricacies of the philosophical tradition in its intertwining of languages and problems, shifts and ideas.
So many inputs in such a short time—something unique. I have reencountered many old friends (some for the first time in person after years of emails and Skype-calls) and made many more. New ideas have arisen and I will scrupulously nurture them. And new collaborations have started or are about to start—and you will see their outcomes hopefully soon.
For now, some photos of smart people (and I) having fun in different ways.
Lincoln
May 2019
ROME
April 2019
A impressively fantastic conference on Aristotle’s Physics in the Middle Ages, with superb scholars (and I). I really had some great fun and amazing time in Rome! Looking forward to meeting again Irene, Anna, and “the Cecilias” very soon — maybe in Berlin?
CORFU
March 2019
I have been invited to give a talk to an intriguing conference in a most beautiful place: Corfu, Greece. This has given me the special opportunity to get in touch with Greek colleagues and be enriched by their perspectives on ancient and medieval science and one feature in particular: how rhetoric impacted on the scientific discourse. The organisers, Kostas Stefou and Athanasios Efstathiou, have been the perfect hosts. I have indulged in the many culinary, artistic, and historical pleasures of this unique island. And something more…
Indeed, if you have to go to Greece, well, why not staying a bit longer and go looking for Aristotle? That’s what I thought. So, I flew from Berlin to Thessaloniki and went to Stagira. Then, having to go to Corfu from Thessaloniki, the Meteora were so close that it would have been a pity not to visit them. In the end, it has been a splendid Aristotelian trip that I shall never forget!
DURHAM
March 2019
I have been invited to give a lecture on medieval theories of prime matter at Durham University. It has been so good to go back to the North East for this fantastic occasion to discuss many intricate points of premodern epistemology of matter! And see again my friends and the many beauties of the best region of England (sorry, London and the South, but that’s absolutely true).
Berlin
February 2019
The reading group on Calcidius and Ibn Gabirol is coming to an end—our last meeting is going to be on Feb 15th. We had some great fun trying to understand many intricate doctrinal points on ontology and cosmology. It has been wild. But also incredibly pleasurable. My most sincere gratitude goes to all the brave participants, each one of whom has added very valuable insights and interpretative perspectives.
Looking forward to seeing you all next semester, with a new reading group on an equally peculiar medieval thinker: Roger Bacon.
Berlin
January 2019
My friend Rosie Reed Gold visited me this weekend. It has been a special visit. Rosie is a fantastic artist based in London (you can find here some of her impressive creations and here some of the amazing photos she takes). We met in Oxford last year and since the very beginning we knew that there was something fast growing from our conversations on philosophy, art, and medieval science. A strange idea. A collaboration was looming. And it is a very special collaboration, I would say.
Different approaches to truth. There is no need to refer to Hans Georg Gadamer to see that there’s something in art which is irreducible to our standard comprehension of verbal assertions or mathematical equations. Aesthetic experiences offer a different access to something that we might call truth. A truth of the event which is in front of us. An access to a different comprehension of that event—that thing, that happening, that thought represented and therefore uncovered by the artistic creation. A non-apophantic assertion of something that is differently processed by our minds. An un-covering of a reality hidden beneath a surface of rational consideration.
There is a philosophical dimension within art that goes well beyond aesthetics. But can we talk of an artistic dimension within philosophy? Can art help us grasp something philosophically relevant from our consideration of a doctrine or maybe even in our attempts at resolving thorny interpretative problems? And what kind of knowledge would that be, if we assume that an artistic access to philosophy is indeed feasible?
Similar considerations, of course, can be made about contemporary science. Can science contribute to the solution of historically determined theoretical problems not directly related to practices and concrete realisations of something? Can scientific knowledge and an utterly scientific approach help us understanding doctrinal problems and aspects, for instance, of Premodern metaphysics? At a first glance, access, methods, and basic assumptions of contemporary science appear to impede similar applications. Which, in the best case, would result into an extemporaneous anachronistic interpretation of historically determined problems.
Not necessarily, though, and not always…
Let matter enter the scene, then! As I was saying, a daring project is looming, getting closer and closer. After two intense days of intriguing discussions, Rosie and I were exhausted yet replenished with new brilliant ideas and plans. It will be a matter of unhinging—figuratively, and perhaps also literally—some basic assumptions and linchpins. But it is always like this, isn’t it?
More soon…
BONN
November 2018
I just came back from the very first event organised by the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation I participated in. Three days of meetings, discussions, brain-storming, and good time shared with so many colleagues from all over the world, all together in Bonn. That was fantastic! It just feels so good to be part of a network so huge and diverse, made of so many brilliant minds and sponsored by such a generous institution. Can’t wait to attend the next one!
DUBLIN
September 2018
BERLIN
August 2018
After two years, it’s time for me to leave lovely Durham and move to the big city, Berlin. This is going to change so many things. I feel proud and honoured to become a Humboldtian and am so grateful for this opportunity.
I have just started my German course at the Goethe Institute and, so far, it’s quite weird to be back to the other side of the desk. Can’t wait for the proper thing (i.e., my new job) to start in a few weeks. But I am also having much fun with my fellow Humboldtians at school – all together in this linguistic and cultural adventure. Wish me good luck, or better, viel Glück!
FLORENCE
June 2018
Il primo di giugno abbiamo presentato presso la SISMEL di Firenze il volume Vedere nell’ombra. Studi su natura, spiritualità e scienze operative offerti a Michela Pereira. Dopo mesi di pianificazione, siamo riusciti a mantenere il ‘segreto’ e fare una bella sorpresa a Michela, che non si aspettava nulla. Una festa con amici e colleghi e un gran momento per ritrovarsi insieme e festeggiare una persona che ha dato così tanto a tutti noi.
CHICAGO
May 2018
Before flying back to Europe, I had two days in Chicago. I love that town. Architecturally speaking, no other city is like Chicago, not even New York can compete with such an outstanding aesthetic exquisiteness. I slept my nights there laying literally in front of five huge lightened letters (they were T-R-U-M-P and, believe me, it was a sort of Mordor-like experience: next time, I will think it twice before booking my hotel).
I met with a fantastic friend who gave me a tour of the University of Chicago, I walked a lot, and I finally tried a Chicago deep-dish pizza!! Yes, I did so! It was since 2015, when I was at Notre Dame, that I wanted to try one. Problem is that I went to a restaurant (Labriola: gorgeous!) two hours before taking my taxi to the airport, and I couldn’t imagine that a Chicago deep-dish pizza was that… large! After two slices, I felt I was going to die. With six more in front of me, I decided to do what an American would do: ask for boxes. That’s how I had got a real Chicago deep-dish pizza in Europe.
KALAMAZOO
May 2018
Montreal was fantastic. However, the spectre of Kalamazoo was looming. Kalamazoo was not a problem, it was the 14-hour-long drive from Montreal! A group of seven people from Durham (well, actually six, as there still was the lovely intruder from Oxford, but it was like as she was from Durham) locked into a car, even if a good one, for such a long time and without smoking? It’s not a joke: it happened! And I can proudly say that I survived it!
Maybe, for the sake of this blog, I should say that it was a great fun and we had an amazing time while we were trapped in there. It would be a lie: it was so boring, notwithstanding many attempts at having fun. We made it to Kalamazoo, though, and that’s what’s important.
Kalamazoo. The place, the Zoo. Amazing, but too short. I wasn’t able to meet with all the people I wanted to meet. Nevertheless, new friendships have begun, old friends have been met, new collaborations have been established, no disease from the dorms has been contracted, and knowledge has been shared: that’s the spirit of Kalamazoo! The two panels on medieval science organised by OU were terrific and we got some very positive feedbacks. I have understood that blue margaritas are not my cup of tea and I had a splendid stimulating time there. I definitely look forward to going back to Kalamazoo next year.
MONTREAL
May 2018
One of the best things of this line of work is the oneiric dimension of travel. It is not the travel in itself to be oneiric—even though, when one travels to the US or Canada, there’s always a sleepy state that goes on for days: nothing poetic, though, just jet-lag. The oneiric dimension happens when you fly away to attend a conference or a meeting and, suddenly, you are in a completely different academic environment.
There, for just a few days, you can dream of living a different life working at a different university. From this point of view, America is unparalleled and the Ordered Universe project a sort of “Traumfabrik”! It was the OU that marked May 2018 with a long trip to Montreal and Kalamazoo, and a Chicago-ending.
It was my first time in Montreal, Quebec. Sincerely, I couldn’t imagine what I was going to experience there (terrific food, more terrific food, beautiful people, awesome architecture, decadent landscapes, and much more). As always, companionship was amazing. Ordered Universe symposia and meetings are not only brilliant moments of theoretical discussion, but also great gathering of new and old friends. We always have such a good time together, and the Montreal symposium wasn’t different.
We had days of incredibly fascinating and stimulating discussions on Grosseteste’s De motu supercelestium and De motu corporali et luce, the latter being one of my favourite works authored by Grosseteste. Hosted by Faith Wallis at McGill University, the workshop was ultimately fantastic, undoubtedly a success. Not to mention the extraordinary food we had there at a series of astounding restaurants!
Quebec cuisine has quite a reputation…. and it deserves it! I also had a chance to try again the famous poutine. After my Toronto experience, I had no expectations, as that very first poutine I ate was horrible. Nonetheless, the real Quebec poutine I had in Montreal was like an inspiring and overwhelming dream made of gravy, cheese, French fries, and smoked meat. Fantastic!
Aesthetically, Montreal is such a beautiful city. Relaxed, European, and safe. A fusion of contemporary architecture and old (at least for that continent) buildings. Walking my way down to the St Lawrence river has been quite an experience. But it wasn’t enough. Between the end of the symposium and the beginning of another brilliant meeting (the McGill-Durham graduate conference to which some of the best graduate students of both universities participated—with a lovely intruder from Oxford), I did what I usually do when I’m in those huge American conglomerates of people and buildings we call metropolises: I walked. And I went to Little Italy (sorry, “la petite Italie”), Mile End, walking my way down through the Plateau down to the river.
A tremendous experience, in which I also discovered that bagels are actually made in dedicated bakeries (maybe “bageleries”?) by real people. I also tried a fresh-made one: it was superb. (As always, I have also taken a lot of pictures and I now realise that I need to enrol on some sort of photography social platform. Otherwise, no one will ever see the actual results of my long walks through Europe and America!)
CORDOBA
March 2018
At Casa árabe, in Cordoba, during the awesome colloquium Crossing Lands. Spreading knowledge in the Near East and the Mediterranean from Late Antiquity to Middle Ages, March 14th 2018.
PAMPLONA
January 2018
I’ve just come back from a brilliant workshop in Pamplona! After months collaborating together on our project , the members of the research group ‘Hermenéutica patrística y medieval (LOGOS)’ (based at the Instituto de Estudios Medievales of the University of Navarra) finally met! What can I say? It’s been a marvellous day of study led by María Jesús Soto-Bruna: so many interesting talks, new tempting ideas, projects, collaborations… Just brilliant! So many good people there, can’t wait to the next meeting (and go back to Pamplona, hopefully!).
TEXAS
November 2017
Texas, the wild land with lots of guns, and its ‘come and take it!’ echoing far away. I was totally ready to see those landscapes I imagined to be filled with oil extraction plants, people with Stetson cowboy hats, and money flowing all over the way… As often happens, though, I soon realised that my expectations were the outcome of unsound mental constructions (let’s just call them prejudices).
Coming from Toronto (1 C°) to Dallas (28 C°), the first days were marked by a real and enveloping thermal shock. Moreover, Dallas is a rather peculiar city, very different from New York or Chicago, and far away from European Boston. There is no actual ‘downtown’, or better, for sure there is one, but it is not a real place to walk down (apart from Thanksgiving Square). It reminded me a lot of Indianapolis, which is not a bad place, but is ‘different’. I was very lucky, though, for in Dallas I met with two of my best adventuring companions, my very good friends Therese and David. As a consequence, Texas has been simply and utterly amazing!
The ACPA meeting was superb: shifting from the history of science to philosophy (in a very strict sense) has been like coming back home (from a short trip, though), and the ACPA people are so friendly, interesting, and brilliant scholars! I was very happy to participate in the Dallas meeting, and I have to admit that I learnt many things and discovered new valuable approaches.
A remarkable experience mingled with jalapeño margaritas, the best barbecue I’ve ever tasted (brisket, what a discovery! If you have the occasion to do so, go to Pecan Lodge in Dallas!), the rodeo in Fort Worth (unbelievable!), corn-and-pineapple-covered-with-paprika lollypops (yes, they exist to demonstrate that Hegel was wrong: what is irrational is real, too!), the G.W.B. Presidential Library, and many other splendid things. But time runs fast, and the final destination of my trip was looming up already. As soon as the meeting was over, Therese, David, and I rent a car to San Antonio, passing through Austin (outstanding museum of Texas there!) while listening to Johnny Cash.
The few days I spent in San Antonio were like a dream. I still happen to think on those days wondering whether they were real or not. San Antonio is such an oneiric, relaxing, awesome place, with its River Walk, the Alamo, the Missions, wildlife for free, and delicious restaurants. I went to Southern Texas to meet with two amazing colleagues from Texas State University, Yasmine and David. Medieval Iberia in Texas! We decided to start collaborating on new projects and, you will see, this is going to be terrific, for impressive things have been planned (no spoilers, though, although I can’t wait for them).
Another walk through downtown San Antonio, and it was time already (?!) to go back to Europe, academically and personally enriched by this magnificent trip, with so many plans and even more things to do. And a beautiful surprise, too: I’ve been awarded a Humboldt Fellowship in Berlin, starting on September 2018!
TORONTO
November 2017
My first time in Canada and my first time participating in a HSS meeting: curiosity, eagerness, anxiety were the traits depicting my mood when the aircraft landed at Pearson. Toronto is just so different from what I was expecting: I thought I would have been landing in a kind of Switzerland of America, with Toronto as a sort of Zurich or Bern.
To the contrary, Toronto is like New York, as if they were twin sisters separated at birth and raised in two different, but not far-away, villages. Beauty and contradictions, luxury and poverty, all condensed in one big and freezing city: outstanding aesthetic instantiation of human existence, with tall buildings and British shades all over the place.
The History of Science Society meeting was hosted right at the centre of the city centre – nothing more central! – at the Sheraton. Hundreds of historians of science presenting their research, approach, problems, and doubts on that long history of scientific reflection which mostly corresponds to the history of human progress. A fascinating, formative, brilliant experience, which was crowned by our panel on the limits of science (Late Antiquity to Early Modernity). That was the exquisite fruit of such beautiful minds (Steven, Katja, Yehuda, and Vincenzo) filling a ‘medieval gap’ with incredibly interesting contributions. Perhaps, the best academic moment of my trip to America, a trip which was loaded of outstanding academic moments. And yes, I did find time to quickly go to Niagara Falls (there are no words to describe that!).
BOSTON
November 2017
Another research trip to America – and a very long one (more than three weeks!) First destination: Boston. My very good friend, Katja Krause, had organised an outstanding workshop at Harvard on a fascinating theme: science and religion. It was my first time in Massachusetts, and it has been such a splendid experience. Boston is incredibly European: so much history, everything is clean-and-polished, public transportation is perfect, no Walmart on sight (with my profound disappointment). It was like not being in America at all!
The workshop went marvellously well (and how could have not been so, with such a brilliant host, Katja): different perspectives and approaches (theology, history of science, philosophy) on a delicate matter such as the relation between religion and scientific knowledge from the Late Antiquity to the Early Modernity. From Byzantine alchemy to Galileo’s astronomical observations, passing through the Arabic and Latin traditions, the workshop has been incredibly interesting, opening new lines (and collaborations) to be carefully explored.
Durham
June 2017
It has been fantastic – just perfect! The conference Translating Experience: Medieval Encounters with Nature, Self, and God that Katja Krause and I have organised went perfectly well. You can see both programme and videos here. In this post, I limit myself to including some photos of the two splendid days we have spent in Durham with so many brilliant minds, discussing of medieval philosophy and science.
Also the Facebook streaming went very well and allowed a lot of people to participate from all over the world, asking questions and interacting with the convenors in a stimulating way. This is the future – an equitable, more open and accessible future for academia!
GEORGETOWN
April 2017
My first time at Georgetown University has been quite remarkable – what a fantastic campus! I have attended a conference organised by Neil Lewis: “Aspectus and Affectus: Robert Grosseteste, Understanding and Feeling.” The conference has been amazing. And DC was as charming as always… definitely, one of my favorite cities in the US, with Chicago. And I have been honoured to guide Cecilia through monuments, museums, and cherry trees!
BARCELONA
November 2016
Back to Barcelona for the VII congress of the Sociedad de Filosofía Medieval (i.e., SOFIME). Barcelona, or better, Cerdanyola del Vallés, the small town where the Universidad Autónoma de Barcelona is located, and where I spent some fruitful months working on my dissertation during my PhD. It’s always like coming home: the streets, the concrete buildings, tapas y cañas. And my magister, the person who gave me method, knowledge, and perspective: Alexander Fidora.
The congress went perfectly well: many people, old friends and new ones, a lot of fun as only the Spanish academia is able to provide. My talk on the authorship of the De immortalitate animae received many interesting questions, and I have to say that some of them, as well as the overall acceptance of my hypothesis, were quite unexpected. Also regarding this point there will be some surprises, since it’s not just the De immortalitate animae but also another anonymous writing that is going to be hopefully attributed to Gundissalinus (a point that I clarified thanks to the ‘World Tour’ and the many discussions I had in the US). But no spoilers: just give me a couple of months and I’ll tell you exactly what I mean.
There’s no need to underline how interesting were many of the talks and lectures delivered in Barcelona: possibly, that’s normal (but not obvious) in such a prestigious gathering. What I should mention here is that the SOFIME assembly asked me to become Editor Assistant of the Revista Española de Filosofía Medieval and, also, person in charge of the digital communication of the society. It will be a honour and a great pleasure for me to contribute to the society with my skills, accompanied by a lot of humility. It has been such a great surprise, and I can’t describe how astounded I was in that moment (and even now). Let me just thank again my Spanish colleagues for their trust in me.
There would be many other things to say and write, new collaborations and projects, the agreement for a new introductory monograph on Gundissalinus’s thought (to be published next Spring), and the many interesting people I’ve met here. But I have to admit to myself (and to you) that I’m beginning to be quite tired, after almost a whole month travelling from a place to another every few days. On Monday, I will finally fly back to Durham: the ‘Gundissalinus World Tour’ is over, but the many outcomes of this trip will have a long-lasting effect on my work and my research. And beside that, this month has been just amazing.
SOUTH CAROLINA
November 2016
Finally, the ‘Gundissalinus World Tour’ comes to an end. After the awesome days in Milwaukee, I flew to DC, where I enjoyed the wonderful weather and the restored Capitol dome (amazing!) for a couple of days, working on the next meetings. Then, a 10h30-long train trip to Columbia, SC: in a dream-like atmosphere, I drifted along brown-and-yellow woods, tiny lakes, small towns, chatting with nameless people for just the time of a coffee while the train passes the border between Virginia and North Carolina.
Columbia is just as I imagined the capital of South Carolina following the sweet descriptions my friends gave me last year: a calm, tidy, green town, with an effervescent atmosphere. The real surprise has been the USC campus: it’s not a campus, it’s like a huge and vast garden, or possibly an open museum surrounded by trees and flowers. I can’t imagine a better place for a student to spend his/her years at the university! The buildings, with their colonial style outside joined to a high-tech modern style on the inside, well, they were just astoundingly beautiful. The crowded streets, with hundreds of students, don’t spoil the sense of friendly order you can perceive throughout the whole campus; and the Horseshoe, with its benches and historical buildings – with their columns, windows, flags, and porches – gives you the rare sense to breathe the very history of that marvellous country.
Just this experience would have been enough. The best part of the week I spent in Columbia, though, has been the people with whom I stayed: Jerry and Lilla Hackett. It’s extremely difficult to summarise in just a few words how beautiful, exciting, stimulating, and unique those days have been for me. Jerry and Lilla are wonderful people, with such a kindness and fondness – so rare in these times – that I truly felt like home since the very first moment. And besides chatting and working on Gundissalinus and Bacon, we had a memorable week marked by unforgettable moments. Let me mention two of them, just to give you a taste of that week: the presidential election of Donald J. Trump and the concert of Bob Dylan, to which Jerry and Lilla invited me. Two moments I won’t ever forget, for different and contrasting reasons…
And then my talks. I had the occasion to briefly present to the USC Philosophy Department Grosseteste and the work the Ordered Universe Project is pursuing. Trying to explain to the colleagues the running of the project is so difficult: it’s a strange alchemy of people and skills, philosophy and science, laws of refraction and Aristotle’s physics… a joining of perspectives that works just perfectly. And it is always a pleasure to see how interested the people are regarding this pioneering project that, beside of producing so many crucial contributions to our understanding of Grosseteste, is also providing an example of how an interdisciplinary approach to humanities can and should be developed.
Nevertheless, the most amazing and intriguing event has been the workshop on Gundissalinus and Ibn Daud organised by Jerry. Only the warm air of South Carolina and the genius of Jerry could have thought on a meeting of this kind in America: and the outcomes have been astounding!! Four scholars – Jerry Hackett, Katja Vehlow, Caleb Colley, and I – talking about the role played by Gundissalinus and Ibn Daud in the history of medieval philosophy. And so many ideas, perspectives, new data and sources, Aquinas and Bacon, Peckham and Gundissalinus: simply amazing, extremely useful, just perfect! I won’t spoil anything (the proceedings are likely to be published soon, for the very high level of the discussion): just wait and see!
WASHINGTON, DC
November 2016
From Milwaukee I flew to Washington DC (with another flight cancelled and rebooked!), where I am now, revising my paper for the Colloquium at the University of South Carolina. Tomorrow afternoon, a long train trip (10:30h) will take me to Columbia, SC: I am sure I will have many things to add to this short update very, very soon. And in three days: presidential election!
MILWAUKEE
November 2016
From Notre Dame, I have gone to Milwaukee, Wisconsin, right on the other side of Lake Michigan. Marquette University, one of the most prestigious academic institutions in America for medieval philosophy (and beyond). A bit anxious for the ‘big happening’, I was so eager to know what the people at Marquette think about the first reception of Avicenna in the Latin West. And the two days I spent in Milwaukee have been, by this viewpoint, definitely astonishing!
Indeed, it’s always a pleasure to discuss your research with scholars dealing with topics related to yours, especially when they are so great scholars as Richard Taylor. But the discussion after my talk had something else, something difficult to define or describe (so Plotinian). A two-hours discussion, talking with Richard Taylor, David Tweteen, and the other members of the Mid-West seminar on the sources of Gundissalinus’s epistemological system, its peculiar merging of al-Farabi and Avicenna, the cosmological derivation of the universe and the influence of Abraham ibn Daud on this peculiar aspect of Gundissalinus’s reflection. But we also had the chance to discuss the intriguing treatise On the Peregrinations of the Soul in the Afterlife, a curious writing describing the ascent and descent of the soul after its separation from the body. One of the most precious moments of discussion, in general, and whose outcomes could be crucial under many respects for our understanding of the dynamics by which Avicenna and ‘the Arabs’ became part of the Latin philosophical tradition.
The days I spent in Milwaukee were then crowned by two further events. The first one is my attendance at Richard Taylor’s graduate course, where I met Marquette’s graduate students. They are so prepared and working on many interesting issues, and it is awesome to see how philosophy and research perpetuate themselves into the new generations – and the spirit of Avicenna appeared. Philosophy and knowledge in general have a development similar to what the Persian philosopher stated (following another friend of us) on the individuals who perpetuate the species through their offspring. But we often forget that when we give to anyone even just a glimpse of reflection (a lecture, a lesson, or just a few words), we are performing a maieutic operation, so important and so precious.
The second event in Milwaukee is quite unrelated to academia or medieval philosophy, but not less historical: the Chicago Cubs won the World Series, and that’s a sort of ‘huge happening’ that I am so proud to have witnessed, even if just watching it on TV. Baseball is such a mental game – I’d even say, the ‘perfect’ game – and its discovery has been one of the best gifts I received by the period I spent in Notre Dame last year. As a chess game with a different ‘spirit’, baseball is like a medieval disputatio: you have to possess a vast knowledge of the authorities, reflect carefully, perform efficiently… and also have a bit of luck!
Milwaukee
November 2016
Going through my paper for tomorrow’s lecture at Marquette University while the World Series is on TV: what a terrible twosome, Gundissalinus and the Cubs!
South Bend
October 2016
My trip to the US has began in a very bad way: the journey Durham – South Bend lasted 45 (you’re not misreading: forty-five) hours, a time during which I had the occasion to cultivate a crucial and painful virtue: patience (a vast amount of it). But once the plane did land in Chicago, and I entered the train to South Bend, all the stress and the fatigue of the long trip suddenly disappeared.
Notre Dame is a strange place. A golden campus in the middle of nowhere, a peculiar geographical position thanks to which the Winter is so cold that once, when I tried to visit the campus (and even heading downtown: how foolish of me), I had to run home very fast since I couldn’t feel my feet and hands anymore. And all that after just 15 minutes at -23! It was February 2015, and I was there for my SIEPM fellowship, a crucial moment, I can see that now, looking backwards to my PhD. In those months spent in South Bend, Indiana, I had the occasion to make friends with the squirrels and learn from prestigious scholars; I tasted my first pineapple pizza and my first grapples; I saw the contradictions of the American welfare state and the astonishing wonders of the American dream. I loved it, and sometimes I hated it: but going back to South Bend has been like going home and meet with old good friends (and I do not mean the squirrels).
The return to Notre Dame could have been just great, but spending those day with Therese and David Cory has been more than brilliant. They had arranged a true American experience for me, from the typical eggs-bacon-jam breakfast to pumpkin carving and trick-or-treating, yummi dinners, excursions to multi-coloured farmer’s markets, and… football! What an astounding experience, being there, the crowded stadium, the golden helmets, an exciting game whose outcomes were uncertain till the very end. And a good one for the Fighting Irish!
Then, the day of my lecture finally came. I was a bit concerned, for the topic (epistemology) and the authors I had to deal with (Augustine, Isidore, Hugh of St Victor, and Gundissalinus): in such a prestigious university, considering the extremely high level of both faculty and students of the MI, what could I expect to be asked about? And again, the magic of Notre Dame – fondly required, especially with a paper on alchemy and necromancy – converted the very substance of that lecture in one of the best moments of discussion and debate ever, comparable only to what came a few days later (spoiler!). We spent a lot of time discussing the implications that astrology has on the human free will, the ‘political problem’ arising from alchemy as aurifiction rather than aurifaction (but in both cases it was a huge problem), the overall epistemological problems of Gundissalinus’s classification of sciences, and how these border-line disciplines survived the condemnations by the Church.
DURHAM
July 2016
I just moved to Durham, United Kingdom for my Junior Research Fellowship! The timing could not be worse (i.e., Brexit), but I am so excited! And my first impression of this tiny medieval town could not be more outstanding!
I am sure the next two years are going to be fascinating! More soon, as I explore the area and start my new job here…
Pavia
November 2015
After a very long discussion in three languages (Italian, English, and Spanish), it’s done! I have defended my thesis. And now, transformed, I have become Dr Polloni!
South Bend
May 2015
The semester is over and it is time for me to go back to Europe. This months in Notre Dame has given me so much in terms of both personal and scientific growth. I will keep Notre Dame forever in my heart as a most special place, with gratitude and warmth. I shall miss my friends (my human friends, too, but I will miss my squirrel companions of smokes very much indeed). I shall miss the library, its books and fantastic staff. I shall miss the weird food, the incredibly warm Midwestern people, the big cars, the long walks, and much more. But I am also happy to head back to Europe after so long. And finally get my PhD!
Here’s a short visual recap of the past couple of months spent in Notre Dame and its surroundings.
CHITOWN
April 2015
During my stay, I fell in love. And I fell in love with Chicago. Its streets, its buildings, its people, its food. The rapturing feeling while walking throughout the Loop and the smell of the lake. I decided to share some photos taken throughout winter and spring, storms and sunshine, and always too much wind.
I explored Chicago, looking for its hidden essence. After a while I realised that its essence was not hidden, but right there in front of me, in its people and its streets, waiting to be appreciated in its exceeding wholeness.
South Bend
March 2015
A few weeks have passed since I moved to Notre Dame. I have seen things that I have struggled to believe were possible: odd temperature (-25 C!!), weird food (grapples!), fantastic animals (squirrels, squirrels, and also squirrels), and so on. I have met splendid people and made many new friends. I have spent hours in the most beautiful and richest library I have ever seen in my life. And I am happy. Some pictures may speak better than words. More updates soon.
Potestas essendi 