Two days dedicated to the pursuit of happiness with the help of the words of Epicurus words that for millennia have remained prisoners of the carbonized papyrus of Herculaneum. Also this year the Epicurean Festival of Senigallia brings philosophy to the beach, not only as a fascinating subject of research for academics, but also as a lifestyle on the road to finding happiness, avoiding pain. Fourteen interventions with prominent speakers on the international academic scene, but also stand-up comedians, artists, painters and simple enthusiasts, will accompany the public to the prestigious Rotonda a Mare, on Tuesday 16 July and Wednesday 17 July.
Tuesday 16th will be dedicated to an “Epicuro Pop”: from 5:30 pm to 8 pm there will be a series of meetings, all free of charge, dedicated to happiness, friendship, but also to memory. The first to speak, in fact, will be Jürgen Hammerstaedt of the University of Cologne, who will remember David Constant professor of classics and well-known American researcher. Federica Sweetmascoloinstead, awarded with the Special Mention at the Netoip Prize, will hold a speech entitled “Friendship and philosophical community: the Epicurean perspective from the 4th to the 1st century BC”; a theme that will also be taken up by Christos Yapijakisof the Epicurean Garden of Athens, who will give a speech entitled “The Pursuit of Happiness, a Human Right: An Epicurean Concept”. Following, Massimiliano Capalboof the Epicurean Garden of Montauro, will bring Epicurus into the contemporary age with the intervention “The Epicurean Garden, an oasis to stop environmental, social and cultural desertification”. The Epicurean Gianluca Esposito will show how it is possible to make Epicurean philosophy everyday with the intervention “Epicuro pop up, Epicurus’ teaching makes us happy today, even without knowing him”. The first part of the first day will be closed by the painter Max Nesti and the cartoonist David Baldoni who will present their works, as a testimony that Epicureanism is alive and speaks to us also through contemporary art.
At 9pm the event will resume with the poet’s intervention Milo De Angelis“Lucretius between wisdom and hurricane” with the readings of Viviana NicodemusThe stand up comedian will close the day with a laugh Pippo Ricciardi with the show “Edonismo e presa bene” which will highlight how laughter and irony are fundamental ingredients of epicurean happiness.
The second day will be more academic and will take us on a journey through the carbonized papyrus of Herculaneum, to see the invisible treasure hidden between their folds. At 5:30 pm the evening will open again Jürgen Hammerstaedtwho will present the Netoip prize, dedicated to the best degree theses on Epicurus, and then leave space for the two winners, the second place winner Leonardo Galli will give a speech entitled “Science and wonder in Lucretius: a conflictual relationship”, while the first place winner Wim Nijswill speak on the topic “Rare as a phoenix or common as a pig? The characteristics of the Epicurean sage in Philodemus’ ethics”.
Gianluca DelMastroof the University of Campania, will introduce the theme of the Herculaneum papyri in the speech “Seeing the Invisible: from Epicurean philosophy to the task of the scholar”; to conclude the first part of the evening, at 8 pm, he will speak Claudio Vergara, of the University of Naples Federico II, who will deal with scientific progress and research, in the speech “A challenge in time: the development and reading of the Herculaneum papyri before the digital revolution”.
The festival ends with two interventions in the last shift, from 9pm to 11pm: Marzia D’Angeloof the University of Naples Federico II, who will focus on the importance of research on the Herculaneum papyrus, with the speech “Seeing by rebuilding: putting back together what fire and time have tried to destroy”, and Federica Nicolardiof the University of Naples Federico II, who will deal with what is still missing to be discovered of the Herculaneum papyri with the intervention “The invisible revealed: the Vesuvius Challenge and the reading of the unopened papyri”. It is therefore an immersive experience both in a new vision of life, both as an object of continuous research in universities, and as a starting point for reflection on daily happiness.