A talk by Timothy Kircher (Fellow EXC2020/Guilford College), organised by Bernhard Huss, Research Area 1: "Competing Communities", in cooperation with Italienzentrum at Freie Universität Berlin. 

This talk examines the ongoing importance of Renaissance letter-writing in forming communities across space and time. While humanists crafted their personal letters according to classical models, they also expressed in their correspondence a sense of care – humanitas – that allowed them to confide to their friends how they confronted various challenges on life’s way: e.g., aging; the whim of fortune; and pursuit of honor and recognition. Petrarch’s letter collections in particular provided later readers and writers an example for how learning and friendship could combine to form a field for thoughtful, authentic communication.

Introduction and moderation: Bernhard Huss (Freie Universität Berlin)

The presentation will be held in English and accessible on the platform WebEx. Please register by e-mail (italzen@zedat.fu-berlin.de) until Tuesday, June 22.