by InTrieste
A 10-part series organized by the universities of Trieste and Udine will examine the political legacies of figures including Indira Gandhi, Ronald Reagan and Deng Xiaoping.
A series of public lectures examining the leaders who shaped postwar politics will begin Oct. 15 in Trieste, bringing historians from across Italy to discuss the relationship between political power, democracy and individual leadership.
“Storia in città,” organized jointly by the universities of Trieste and Udine, will feature 10 lectures through Dec. 17, with five events in each city. The program will explore the political careers and historical legacies of 10 influential figures of the 20th century, including heads of government, revolutionary leaders and religious figures.
The lineup includes Alcide De Gasperi, Indira Gandhi, Fidel Castro, Ronald Reagan, Margaret Thatcher, Deng Xiaoping, Mikhail Gorbachev, Pope John Paul II, Golda Meir and Charles de Gaulle.
The initiative aims to make academic research accessible to the public while encouraging discussion of political developments that continue to shape contemporary society.
“History is a public good,” said Donata Vianelli, rector of the University of Trieste, and Angelo Montanari, rector of the University of Udine, in a joint statement. They said cooperation between the two universities would help foster a deeper understanding of the past and present.
The series opens Oct. 15 in Trieste with a lecture on Indira Gandhi by Emanuela Mangiarotti of the University of Pavia. Subsequent sessions will examine Margaret Thatcher, Ronald Reagan, Fidel Castro, Deng Xiaoping, Mikhail Gorbachev, Pope John Paul II, Alcide De Gasperi, Golda Meir and Charles de Gaulle.
Lectures will begin at 6 p.m. in the University of Trieste’s language center at Via Filzi 14 and at Fondazione Friuli, Via Gemona 1, in Udine.
The program is directed by historians Patrick Karlsen of the University of Trieste and Tommaso Piffer of the University of Udine, with support from the Friuli Venezia Giulia regional government. The Regional Institute for the History of the Resistance and Contemporary History in Friuli Venezia Giulia and the Circolo della storia, part of the Friuli Storia association in Udine, are also collaborating on the initiative.
Established in 2013, “Storia in città” has addressed a range of contemporary issues in previous editions, including international crises in 2023, resistance and liberation in 2024, and disinformation and fake news in 2025.
The full program is available at www.storiaincitta.it.
