Leopardi and Post-Enlightenment Studies at Oxford is an interdisciplinary research group dedicated to the study of the Italian poet and philosopher Giacomo Leopardi (1798–1837) within a European and post-Enlightenment framework. Based at the University of Oxford, Leopardi and Post-Enlightenment Studies at Oxford fosters dialogue across literature, philosophy, cultural history, and intellectual thought, positioning Leopardi as a central figure for understanding the tensions and transformations of modernity in Europe and beyond.
Recent Events
The group regularly organises talks, seminars, and workshops. Continuing the tradition of the Leopardi Study Days in the UK initiated by the Leopardi Centre at the University of Birmingham, we organised two symposia in 2023 and 2024, both funded by the Christ Church Research Centre. The Leopardi Study Day, jointly coordinated by the universities of Birmingham, Oxford, and Warwick, typically takes place at the end of each academic year. It usually rotates among the partner institutions and attracts scholars from across the UK and Europe.
Recent events we organised include:
- ‘Contaminations. Leopardi and the Modern Self from Romanticism to Modernism’, International Conference, 9-11 September 2021. Programme available here. Read the edited volume here.
- Leopardi Day 2023 – 'Leopardi in the UK: Recent Doctoral and Post-doctoral Research' (Christ Church, Oxford, 26 May 2023), in honour of Michael Caesar (1945-2022), renowned Leopardi scholar and Emeritus Serena Professor of Italian Studies at the University of Birmingham. Programme available here.
- Talk by Prof. Philippe Audegean (Sorbonne Université): ‘Terrore e compassione: Beccaria e la tragedia penale’ (organised by the Oxford Italian Research Seminar, May 2024).
- Leopardi Day 2024 – ‘New Approaches to the Operette morali (1824-2024)’ (Christ Church, Oxford, 17 June 2024). Programme available here.
We welcome visiting scholars. Past visiting scholars include Dr. Giovanni Vito Distefano, Post-doctoral fellow at I Tatti – Harvard University (summer 2024).
Collaborations
- Oxford Italian Research Seminar (University of Oxford), Link.
- Laboratorio Leopardi (Sapienza Università di Roma), Link.
- The Revolving Century (University of Warwick).
- Leopardi Centre (University of Birmingham).
- Centro di ricerca L’eredità di Leopardi (Università di Verona), Link.
- Centro Nazionale di Studi Leopardiani, Link.
- Il Corno, Oxford, Link.
For any inquiries, please contact us:
alessandra.aloisi@wadham.ox.ac.uk
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