Francesco Citti - Biography#

Francesco Citti is Professor of Latin at the University of Bologna, Italy.

He earned his degree in classics at the University of Bologna in 1988, and his PhD at the University of Bari in 1993. Since 1995 (after a year of research in Goettingen) he has been teaching at the University of Bologna (both Campus of Ravenna and Bologna).

His research activity is oriented in three main directions:

1) In the field of Latin literature he has developed a privileged interest in philosophical literature (esp. Lucretius, Horace and Seneca), rhetoric and Latin declamation (esp. Seneca the Elder), as well as in Latin poetry in fragments. Besides the thematic, lexical and stylistic aspects, his investigations concern the influence of Greek literary, philosophical and cultural models.

2) The reception of classical authors and themes from the Middle Ages and Renaissance up to the contemporary age: privileged authors, in this field, are Seneca, Horace, Lucretius. Particular attention is given to the theme of humanistic translations from Greek into Latin, and to those from Latin into modern languages. This field is instanced by the book "Seneca nel Novecento. Sondaggi sulla fortuna di un classico", Roma: Carocci 2001 (co-author: C. Neri) and the following co-edited volumes: "Edipo classico e contemporaneo" (co-ed. A. Iannucci) Hildesheim: Olms 2012; "Troiane classiche e contemporanee" (co-eds. A. Iannucci, A. Ziosi) Hildesheim: Olms 2017; "Ragione e furore. Lucrezio nell’Italia contemporanea" (co-ed. D. Pellacani) Bologna: Pendragon 2020 and the catalogue of the exibition "Vedere l'invisibile, Lucrezio nell’arte contemporanea" (with M. Beretta, D. Pellacani, R. Pinto) Bologna, Pendragon: 2017. In the last years he has produced several preparatory works for the critical edition of "Traduzioni e Riduzioni" by G. Pascoli.

3)The relationship between the classical scientific tradition and modern science, an area in which he has promoted several international conferences, and edited the following volumes: "Lucrezio, la natura e la scienza" (co-ed. M. Beretta), Firenze: Olschki 2008; "Seneca e le scienze naturali" (co-eds. M. Beretta, L. Pasetti), Firenze: Olschki 2012; "Il culto di Epicuro. Testi, iconografia e paesaggio" (co-eds. M. Beretta, A. Iannucci), Firenze: Olschki 2014; "Metamorfosi tra scienza e letteratura" (co-eds. L. Pasetti, D. Pellacani), Firenze 2014.