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Event Series

Gaetano Salvemini Colloquium in Italian History and Culture

Chairs

Renato Camurri
Renato Camurri
Professor of History, University of Verona; Co-Chair, Salvemini Colloquium in Italian History and Culture, CES, Harvard University
Charles Maier
Charles Maier
Leverett Saltonstall Research Professor of History, Harvard University; Resident Faculty & Director (1994-2001), Minda de Gunzburg Center for European Studies, Harvard University
 

Named in honor of the Italian anti-fascist historian Gaetano Salvemini who spent much of his career as a professor in Harvard's department of history, this annual lecture is co-sponsored by the Consulate General of Italy in Boston and aims to foster a spirit of intellectual and scholarly inquiry into Italian history within the Harvard community and beyond.

Gaetano Salvemini, 1873-1957

About Gaetano Salvemini

The name Gaetano Salvemini is often associated with that of Harvard. The Italian historian first arrived in Cambridge in 1933 and taught at Harvard until 1948, thanks to special funding provided by the American actress, Ruth Draper, the companion of Lauro De Bosis – a young antifascist who in 1931 died in a plane crash bound for Rome – and to the particular interest of then-president of Harvard, James Conant.

During his years in Cambridge, Salvemini dedicated his time to teaching and research, bringing many projects to fruition. Perhaps his most important work was on antifascist movement and he often collaborated with other exiled European professors teaching at Harvard during that time. Salvemini returned to Italy in 1949 where he continued, until his death in 1957, to be a key political analyst and a critic in the world of Italian culture, a role in which he thrived independently and free from outside influence.

Series Events Calendar

Gaetano Salvemini 150 Years On: The Political and Intellectual Legacy Gaetano Salvemini Colloquium in Italian History and Culture — Gaetano Salvemini 150 Years On: The Political and Intellectual Legacy
October 18, 2023
4:00pm - 5:30pm
  • Federico Finchelstein – Professor of History, New School for Social Research
  • David Ward – Professor Emeritus of Italian Studies, Wellesley College
  • Welcome Remarks by Arnaldo Minuti – Consul General of Italy in Boston
  • Chair Renato Camurri – Professor of History, University of Verona; Co-Chair, Salvemini Colloquium in Italian History and Culture, CES, Harvard University and Charles Maier – Leverett Saltonstall Research Professor of History, Harvard University; Resident Faculty & Director (1994-2001), Minda de Gunzburg Center for European Studies, Harvard University
The Intellectual Legacy of Primo Levi Gaetano Salvemini Colloquium in Italian History and Culture — The Intellectual Legacy of Primo Levi
November 14, 2019
5:30pm - 7:00pm
  • Millicent Marcus – Professor of Italian, Yale University
  • David Ward – Professor Emeritus of Italian Studies, Wellesley College
  • Chair Charles Maier – Leverett Saltonstall Research Professor of History, Harvard University; Resident Faculty & Director (1994-2001), Minda de Gunzburg Center for European Studies, Harvard University
A Mind Never at Rest: A Tribute to Franco Modigliani (1918-2003) Gaetano Salvemini Colloquium in Italian History and Culture — A Mind Never at Rest: A Tribute to Franco Modigliani (1918-2003)
October 25, 2018
6:15pm - 7:30pm
  • Francesco Giavazzi – Senior Professor of Economics, Università Bocconi
  • Federico Rampini – US Bureau Chief, La Repubblica
  • Chair Charles Maier – Leverett Saltonstall Research Professor of History, Harvard University; Resident Faculty & Director (1994-2001), Minda de Gunzburg Center for European Studies, Harvard University
Toscanini: Musician of Conscience Salvemini Colloquium in Italian History and Culture — Toscanini: Musician of Conscience
October 18, 2017
5:30pm - 7:00pm
  • Harvey Sachs – Writer and Music Historian; Faculty Member, Curtis Institute of Music
  • Jeremy Eichler – Classical Music Critic, The Boston Globe; Visiting Scholar, Minda de Gunzburg Center for European Studies, Harvard University; Local Affiliate, CES, Harvard University
  • Chair Charles Maier – Leverett Saltonstall Research Professor of History, Harvard University; Resident Faculty & Director (1994-2001), Minda de Gunzburg Center for European Studies, Harvard University
  • Welcome Remarks by Nicola De Santis – Consul General of Italy in Boston
"Nothing Changed," Yet Nothing Was the Same: On the 70th Anniversary of Italian Women’s Suffrage Salvemini Colloquium in Italian History and Culture — "Nothing Changed," Yet Nothing Was the Same: On the 70th Anniversary of Italian Women’s Suffrage
October 20, 2016
5:30pm - 7:00pm
  • Nadia Urbinati – Kyriakos Tsakopoulos Professor of Political Theory and Hellenic Studies, Department of Political Science, Columbia University
  • Chair Charles Maier – Leverett Saltonstall Research Professor of History, Harvard University; Resident Faculty & Director (1994-2001), Minda de Gunzburg Center for European Studies, Harvard University
  • Welcome Remarks by Nicola De Santis – Consul General of Italy in Boston
Gaetano Salvemini and the Harvard Years: Profile of a European Exile Gaetano Salvemini and the Harvard Years: Profile of a European Exile
April 19 - 22, 2016
8:30am - 6:00pm
  • Charles S. Maier – Leverett Saltonstall Professor of History, Harvard University
  • Renato Camurri – Professor of History, University of Verona; Co-Chair, Salvemini Colloquium in Italian History and Culture, CES, Harvard University
  • Chair David Armitage – Lloyd C. Blankfein Professor of History, Harvard University; Faculty Associate & Seminar Co-chair, Minda de Gunzburg Center for European Studies, Harvard University
Notes on the Ethics of Resistance The Annual Gaetano Salvemini Colloquium in Italian History and Culture — Notes on the Ethics of Resistance
October 22, 2015
5:30pm - 7:00pm
Italy's Great War: A Centennial Perspective The Annual Gaetano Salvemini Colloquium in Italian History and Culture — Italy's Great War: A Centennial Perspective
October 21, 2014
5:30pm - 7:00pm
  • Charles Maier – Leverett Saltonstall Research Professor of History, Harvard University; Resident Faculty & Director (1994-2001), Minda de Gunzburg Center for European Studies, Harvard University
Italy 1943-1948: From Catastrophe to Reconstruction Annual Gaetano Salvemini Colloquium: — Italy 1943-1948: From Catastrophe to Reconstruction
October 16, 2013
5:30pm - 7:00pm
  • Silvana Patriarca – Professor of History, Fordham University
  • Charles Maier – Leverett Saltonstall Research Professor of History, Harvard University; Resident Faculty & Director (1994-2001), Minda de Gunzburg Center for European Studies, Harvard University
  • Massimo L. Salvadori – CES Speaker
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