Rome, Italy, a city known for its beauty, was being unappreciated by recent generations Dr. Raffaello Palumbo Mosca said in a speech, Rome: One and Many, on Monday, May 4, 2022. Mosca visited the University of Denver with help of the language department to present the history and natural beauty the city holds.
Mosca received his doctorate at the University of Torin, and from the University of Chicago. He focuses his studies on Italy since he likes to show others the encapturing country, and how much history a small location can have.
“I have not taken a language course since it is not required for my major, and it was interesting to learn about the history of Italy since I have always wanted to learn more about it,” University of Denver student Faith Alexopoulos said. “You could tell he was extremely passionate about what he was talking about which made it entertaining and informative at the same time to me.”
He focused his speech on presenting multiple pieces of literature that truly capture the essence that is within Italy, specifically Rome. Mosca mentioned names, such as Gabriele D’Annuzio, Andrea Gabriele and more.
“Henry James said in his book that nature has a huge part but humans has built the beauty of Rome. Contemporary human beings not only seem to be unable to preserve it, but have become incapable of understanding it,” Mosca said.
Further into his speech, Mosca touched on the topic of how many generations recently have not understood how interesting and fascinating the history and architecture of Rome is. Mosca brought up how the essence of Rome was not only nature had a part in making the stunning city of Rome but also how humans have aided in the making of such an alluring city.
“Rome is there, in its enternal beauty, and the men and women today are starting to commence its disappearance,” Mosca said.
Towards the end of his lecture, Mosca brought up a clip from an Italian movie “La Grande Bellezza” which showed how even those who live in Rome tend to forget how pretty the city is. He showed a couple of clips, each proving how even though the city holds so many captivating details, many seem to skim past them.
“One sees the beauty of Rome, and people believe that they were destined to be here,” Mosca said. “The beauty of Rome can only be shown when all parties there are appreciative.”
Once he finished his speech, he opened the discussion to the audience, asking them if they had any questions he could answer. This allowed the audience to gain a complete understanding of his thought process while going through his studies, such as why he picked certain artifacts to present to the public the beauty of the city.
Mosca showed how the beauty of Rome is breezed past many when in conversation or even visiting the city. Rome holds so many thought-out details, and it is up to recent generations to take more appreciation for the city. Throughout the speech, the crowd seemed engaged, holding there attention to Mosca, leaving everyone in the audience having a larger knowledge of Rome.
MFJS Reporter Spring 2022 