The extraordinary and sometimes underestimated legacy of Frederick's reign between 1220 and 1250 is the subject of a lecture by Louis Hamilton. The era of Frederick's rule has justifiably been described as the "first Renaissance." However, whereas the later Italian Renaissance flourished primarily in the center and north of the peninsula, this first flowering had its origins in Sicily and the South, the epicenter of Frederick's empire, from which this free-thinking, multilingual emperor (apart from several Western tongues, he also knew Hebrew and Arabic) conducted his affairs.

The spirit of the art-loving emperor who presided over the first great rediscovery of the classical arts in Southern Italy. His artistic and cultural contributions were for centuries obscured by the damnation of his memory by the Catholic church. Dante placed him in the sixth circle of hell, eternally burning in a fiery tomb along with other Epicurean heretics.

When: Monday, November 24, 2014 at 6:00 pm
Where: Italian Cultural Institute of New York, 686 Park Ave, New York, NY 10065

Source: http://www.iicnewyork.esteri.it/