Translation. Region: Russian Federation –
Source: Novosibirsk State University –
An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.
On December 1, two open lectures were held at Novosibirsk State University, organized by Italian Center of NSUThey were dedicated to medieval culture and the origins of the Italian literary tradition. The topics were Francis of Assisi's "Song to Brother Sun" and Umberto Eco's interpretation of the Middle Ages in his novel "The Name of the Rose."
The first lecture was given by Stefano Invernizzi, deputy director of a Catholic school in Novosibirsk. He introduced Francis of Assisi and spoke about the hymn he composed, which celebrates its 800th anniversary this year.
The lecturer emphasized that Francis's anniversary once again brings attention to the origins of Italian culture:
"We started talking about Saint Francis—this year marks the 800th anniversary of his "Canticle to Brother Sun." This is an opportunity to revisit the history of the Italian language, as this text is one of the first products of Italian culture. On such days, lectures like these are especially important.
A significant part of the speech was devoted to the analysis of the “Song to Brother Sun” – the first poetic text in the Umbrian vernacular:
"This is, first and foremost, a prayerful hymn. Note: this is truly a literary text. Why? Because we see that the author, Francis of Assisi, consciously used the grammatical resources at his disposal. Moreover, Francis draws on his predecessors—biblical ones, of course, the prophets and the psalms."
The expert spoke in detail about the context of Francis's life, his spiritual conversion, political conflicts in Medieval Italy, and the role of the Order of Friars Minor. The lecturer specifically noted that the hymn's key message is connected to love for all living things and brotherhood with nature and animals: "This is the most important message for the 'Song': If God is one Father, then all people are brothers and sisters. Just like all living beings."
The second lecture was given by Lyudmila Budneva, senior lecturer Humanities Institute of NSUThe lecture was dedicated to Umberto Eco's novel "The Name of the Rose." The lecturer described the book as a multilayered work that reveals the intellectual debates of the Middle Ages—about the nature of truth, the role of knowledge, the permissibility of laughter, and the mechanisms of power.
Lyudmila Viktorovna emphasized that Eco portrays the Middle Ages as an era of contradictions, where dogmas and living human thought clashed:
We're talking about the 14th century. Umberto Eco opens before us a veritable encyclopedia of a medieval monastery. In this case, it's a Benedictine monastery—the oldest Christian order. We learn about the way of life and customs, the rules of conduct. But any rules are embodied by living people. The novel is precisely about how any rules, elevated to absolutes for the sake of stability and so that we know where we're going, must be immutable. They shouldn't change from century to century, because Christ is one and His word is one. But life shows that all these rules, like life itself, are made by people. The main debate in the novel is about people and rules.
The lecturer elaborated on the key opposition of the work – laughter and fear, embodied in the images of the novel’s heroes, William of Baskerville and Jorge:
— Laughter is the path to truth… it is what softens the spirit, makes us kinder, but at the same time it also enlightens the spirit.
Lyudmila Viktorovna also emphasized that the novel touches on fear as a tool of control:
"So, according to the novel, people fear a man-made fear, one that comes from the medieval church and the educated world. This is frightening because knowledge, concentrated in a few hands, weakens the world."
The lecture concluded with a discussion of the symbolic significance of the destruction of the monastery library:
Gradually, cities grow—and life takes over. At the end of the novel, the monastery and its library are destroyed by fire, but the world continues to exist. Although we have lost a vast treasure trove of knowledge, including Aristotle's Poetics, the monastery's destruction demonstrates the triumph of change. The Middle Ages cannot be perceived as something static and unchanging.
Both lectures demonstrated to the audience how multilayered and vibrant the Middle Ages appears when examining its original texts. Through the hymn of Francis of Assisi and the novel by Umberto Eco, the audience saw how early literary forms and spiritual debates of the 13th and 14th centuries shaped the language, worldview, and conceptions of knowledge that continue to influence European culture to this day. These two perspectives—from within medieval spirituality and through the prism of modern humanities thought—allowed a new appreciation of the role of the Middle Ages as an era in which key ideas emerged that shaped the subsequent development of literature, philosophy, and society.
Please note: This information is raw content obtained directly from the source. It represents an accurate account of the source's assertions and does not necessarily reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.