In November of 1943, under the Nazi occupation of Padua, Concetto Marchesi became the new rector of its university. Our protagonist, 12-year-old Vandina attends the impassioned speech of the new rector during the inauguration of the academic year, which sets the stage for an unexpected life. The courage Vandina hears in the words of Marchesi bellow into the crowd of university students, including her sister Fernanda, fills her with the idea of an Italy free from Nazi-Fascism that will lead her to participate in its liberation.
Published by Carthusia Edizioni and written by Gigliola Alvisi with illustrations by Sonia Maria Luce Possentini, the book presentation takes place on 15 December in the Aula Nievo of Palazzo Bo. As the latest volume of the Storie Libere series, La voce del coraggio is one of the eight stories dedicated to eight individuals who looked beyond the limitations of their time and became examples behind the power of freedom, thus encouraging a younger generation.
Dedicated to young readers, the Storie Libere series is a project in celebration of the University of Padua’s 800th Anniversary.
The book presentation welcomes Annalisa Oboe (Director of the Elena Cornaro Center), Patrizia Zerbi (Editorial Director of Carthusia Edizioni), Giulia Simone (Professor of History of International Relations at the Department of Political, Legal, and International Studies), and Gigliola Alvisi (author).
To participate, registration is required.