The tenth edition of the initiative organised by the Scuola Normale with Princeton University at the Palazzone. 
 
 
 
PISA, 13th March 2026. From today to Saturday 14th March, Cortona hosts the workshop on Latin Literature “Lucretius, Book 5 (772-1457)”, organised by the Scuola Normale Superiore in collaboration with Princeton University. Scholars from international universities will be discussing the second part of the fifth book of De rerum natura, among the most fascinating parts of the poem. This is the tenth edition of these meetings (Colloquium) at the  Palazzone, the Renaissance villa which is the site of the Scuola Normale in Cortona in the province of Arezzo. This year the workshop is funded by the PNRR (NRRP) via the project MERITA, la rete per il talento (MERITA, the network for talent)
 
  The Colloquium is dedicated to the second part of the fifth book of De rerum natura, in which the poet and philosopher Titus Lucretius Carus describes the origin of life on earth and outlines a history of primitive humanity. It is a passage of great poetic power and extraordinary theoretical interest, which anticipates — in some respects — evolutionary theories and contemporary studies on prehistoric humanity. 
 
 In addition to Latin scholars from the Scuola Normale and from Princeton University, the scholars taking part include lecturers from the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens and from the École normale supérieure of Lyon. The event is organised by Alessandro Schiesaro, full professor of Latin Language and Literature and Director of the Scuola Normale, and  Andrew Feldherr, a professor of Classical Studies at Princeton University.