'A New World' by Gennaro Matacena at the Instituto Cervantes. Tuesday 18 October 2022, 18 pm the new historical novel
The Instituto Cervantes of Naples in collaboration with Colonnese Editore presents on Tuesday 18 October at 18 pm, A New World, the historical novel by the architect, shipowner and writer Gennaro Matacena.
The author will host a stimulating round table discussion with anthropologist Mariella Pandolfi, professor at the University of Montreal, journalist and essayist Titti Marrone and Carlos Maldonado Valcárcel, Consul General of Spain in Naples.
It is possible to follow the meeting for free both in person - at the headquarters of the Instituto Cervantes of Naples in Via Chiatamone 6G - and online on the Zoom platform, by booking at cultnap@cervantes.es indicating the chosen method.
The novel “A New World” is set at the beginning of the sixteenth century, following the marriage between Isabella of Castile and Ferdinand of Aragon, in the turning point that will lead to the territorial unification of Spain and will see the establishment of a Spanish monarchy in Naples that will last two centuries.
In Naples there is Gonzalo Fernández de Córdoba, the Gran Capitán, the first Viceroy, who at the head of an exceptional army reconquers the Kingdom of Naples for its king, Ferdinand the Catholic. However, precisely because of his brilliant victories, the Gran Capitán arouses suspicion of wanting to become king of Naples and it is here that the absolute protagonist of the novel comes into play, the noble Andreu, sent to Naples from Barcelona by King Ferdinand to spy on the Gran Capitán and discover his true intentions.
Andreu's adventures lead the reader through a historical moment of profound transformation that sees Naples acquire an increasingly central role within the Spanish empire. But the common thread that runs through the novel is Andreu's constant concern for Didac, his only son, who is embarking on an adventure overseas, in the New World.
With Andreu, the reader witnesses the vital stages of a refined and cultured man who manages to navigate the ever unpredictable waters of power and the crucial events that, from 1504 to 1528, will change the fate of the world forever.
Gennaro Matacena made his debut in 2016 with the novel I giardini di Aglaura (Rogiosi). An architect with an innate vocation as a narrator, he has ranged as an essayist from architectural restoration to museography, to industrial archaeology and architectural historiography. Active both in Italy and abroad, he and his team have worked on major projects for the museums of Capodimonte (Naples), the Imperial Forums and Trajan's Markets (Rome), the European Museum of Contemporary Art (Palermo); as well as the recovery of the medieval village of Postignano (Perugia).
Mariella Pandolfi is Professor of Anthropology at the University of Montreal. Visiting Professor at the Universities of Siena, Bologna, Tarragona, Harvard, the Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique and the École des Hautes Études en Sciences Sociales in Paris. She introduced North American medical anthropology and French ethnopsychiatry to Italy. She was a consultant for the United Nations and the IOM in Kosovo and Albania in the years 1999-2001.
Titti Marrone, from Naples, has been a journalist since 1980. For many years she was in charge of the cultural pages of the Mattino di Napoli, before moving to the central editor-in-chief office. She collaborated with Cara Italia and Enzo Biagi's Fatto. Today she is an editorialist and literary critic for the Mattino di Napoli, and since 1996 she has taught History and Techniques of Journalism (currently at the Suor Orsola Benincasa University). Author of numerous essays and winner of prestigious literary awards.
Carlos Maldonado Valcárcel, a career diplomat, has been Consul General of Spain in Naples since August 2019, with jurisdiction over the seven regions of Southern Italy. During his diplomatic career, which began in 1990, he has held various roles at the Spanish Embassies in Peru, Italy, Norway, France and Japan. At the Spanish Ministry of Foreign Affairs, he was twice Deputy Director General of Cultural Affairs, also dealing with development cooperation policies, relations with UNESCO and with Latin American countries.
Article published on 14 October 2022 - 12:54
