14 May 2024
Palermo seems to be the perfect place for a conference dealing with early modern encounters, since this capital of Sicily, hometown of the La Pira Library where the Thirteenth Annual REFORC Conference is taking place, is a melting pot of different cultures.
Encounters
The Thirteenth Annual REFORC Conference which started today, was full of encounters. In the first place, scholars from all over the world enjoyed exciting encounters with fellow scholars. One could also say that there were also meetings between institutions. As Prof. Michele Cometa (University of Palermo) said: “…this conference is another step in a fruitful cooperation between Fscire, the host of the conference, and REFORC”.
Fabrizio D’Avenia’s (University of Palermo) opening lecture was also full of examples of encounters. As he showed, the “Mediterranean Indies” (the islands between Sicily and the Cyclades, in the Aegean Sea) […] ”constituted a space of religious and cultural exchange with specific features, where conflicts and negotiations constantly overlapped. Sicily played a key role in this context, which confirms that its condition of insularity has never meant isolation – splendid or miserable as it may be – but, on the contrary, a capacity for adaptation and dialogue. Adaptation and dialogue were undoubtedly tiring but, I would say, inevitable to survive. Our Mediterranean world needs both adaptation and dialogue so much today.”
His lecture was followed by the lecture of Aleksandra Lipinska (University of Cologne). She took the audience on a journey to an early modern metropole, explaining on the examples of churches, synagogues and cathedrals that “art and architecture emerged in Lviv of the 16th-18th century as pivotal tool in the interconfessional debates, offering a public arena for encounters, confrontations and eloquent statements”. As she ended her lecture “It is a responsibility of all of us to defend this heritage and to demonstrathe the value of plurality.”
Cities, Countries and Regions
Encounters take place everywhere where people are. In the plenary papers and short Many cities and areas occurred by, like: Palermo, Venice, Lviv, Hemstedt, Transylvania, Poland, Soutern Germany, Southern Netherlands, Eastern Europe etc. This shows something of the many areas of research of those present.
One could also speak of figurative encounters: encounters with new ideas, concepts, architectural styles, encounters in a “philoteke” containing more than 300 entries, thus being a detailed source for cross-cultural contacts. It was all amply present on this first day of the conference.
Finale
The day ended with a beautiful concert by the Artea Piano Quartet consisting of four women. A worthy finale to this first day of the conference.
