(Illustration by Giuseppe Rava)
The University of Padua celebrates the life of Giuseppe Colombo with the theatrical performance Bepi Colombo, il pescatore di stelle on Friday, May 6. Known to all as ‘Bepi’, the work of the Italian mathematician, physicist, engineer and astronomer greatly contributed to planetary sciences.
From the Teatro popolare d’arte, the show is written by Emanuela Agostini and directed by Gianfranco Pedullà and includes performances by Amerigo Fontani and Roberto Caccavo. (Music by Andrea Cincinelli, lights by Gianni Pollini, scenography by Giovanna Mastantuoni, costumes by Veronica Di Pietrantonio).
Dedicated to the life of Bepi Colombo (1920-1984), whose contribution changed the history of space travel and much more. The play opens from his office in Padua, stricken with the disease that leads to his death, the scientist confides in a journalist fascinated by the story of his life, and the strength of his intuition. The performance spans back in time, accompanying the audience on a journey where Colombo’s work reached. Stretching from the University of Padua to the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory (SAO), from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) to the California Institute of Technology (Caltech), and from the ESA headquarters in Paris to NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL). A scholar in continuous movement, Colombo was as rigorous and brilliant, as he was solitary and extroverted. A man who perceived the responsibility of scientific research as a form of enrichment for the entire human race and, amid the Cold War, he dared to imagine a greater collaboration between world powers to respond to global challenges, including that of global warming.
The performances are part of the project “The University of Padua and Space. From the robotic and human exploration of Space to Science Diplomacy”. Coordinated by David Burigana, Professor at the University of Padua, the project also includes the scientific guidance of Enrico Lorenzini and is made possible thanks to the patronage of the SPGI Department of Political, Legal and International Studies and the CISAS “Giuseppe Colombo” Centre for Space Studies and Activities.
The performance is part of the University’s 800th Anniversary schedule of celebratory events.
Historical notes inspired to “Giovanni Caprara. Più lontano nello spazio. Storia di Giuseppe Colombo”. The show has been analyzed by Diletta Domenichini in her double degree thesis in Theatre History (Università degli Studi di Pavia) “La divulgazione scientifica nella scena contemporanea: il caso di Bepi Colombo, il pescatore di stelle”, thesis supervisor Prof. Leonardo Mancini, with the collaboration of Prof.ssa Maria Pia Pagani, a.a. 2021-2022.
Consulenza tecnico-amministrativa a cura dello SPGI.
To participate, registration is required.
The show is also broadcasted live on Youtube.
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