The Center for Italian Studies is pleased to host a lecture by Professor Eva Del Soldato (University of Pennsylvania) titled: A Reckless and Scandalous Doctrine: Matthias Ferchius, a Franciscan in the Index  This paper delves into the intriguing journey of a forgotten booklet by the Franciscan Matthias Ferchius (1583-1669), drawing from recently unearthed material. It uncovers a fascinating blend of Biblical exegesis, poison expertise, medical reasoning, and rhetorical balancing acts, all in an audacious attempt by Ferchius to present no less than a revisionist account of the death of Jesus Christ. The paper will engage in the dialectic between Ferchius and the Holy Office censors, shedding light on the aspects of Ferchius’s text that raised particular concerns. It will also demonstrate how the pursuit of “new” outlooks in philosophy and theology always necessitated a firm reliance on tradition, a fact exemplified by other episodes of Ferchius’ intellectual career. Lastly, it will bring to the fore the paradoxical outcomes of this form of “conspiracy” philology.  Eva Del Soldato is associate professor of Italian Studies at the University of Pennsylvania, where she directs the FIGS Graduate Program and serves as interim director of the Center for Italian Studies. She was trained in philosophy and intellectual history at the Scuola Normale Superiore di Pisa. Her research is primarily devoted to Renaissance thought and culture, particularly the Aristotelian and Platonic traditions. Her current project is focused on lovesickness treatises in the Counterreformation period. She is the author of the monographs Simone Porzio (2010) and Early Modern Aristotle. On the Making and Unmaking of Authority (2020). She has also published several articles and editions, including the Italian translation of Bessarion's In calumniatorem Platonis. She has co-edited several volumes (the most recent is Plato in the Italian Universities, 2024). She received— among others — fellowships from the Scuola Normale Superiore, Villa I Tatti, the Herzog August Bibliothek in Wolfenbuettel, the Huntington Library in Pasadena, and she has been a Marie Curie Fellow at the University of Warwick, UK. She has been a visiting professor at the University of Milan, the University of Bergamo, and the 2022/2023 Charles Speroni Chair at UCLA. She has been the interim director (2019/2020) of the Global Medieval Studies Program at Penn, and she is currently the executive secretary of the American Association for Italian Studies (AAIS).   The lecture is co-sponsored by the Medieval Institute.The Italian Research Seminar, a core event of the Center for Italian Studies, aims to provide a regular forum for faculty, postdoctoral scholars, graduate students, and colleagues from other universities to present and discuss their current research. The Seminar is vigorously interdisciplinary, and embraces all areas of Italian literature, language, and culture, as well as perceptions of Italy, its achievements and its peoples in other national and international cultures. The Seminar constitutes an important element in the effort by Notre Dame's Center for Italian Studies to promote the study of Italy and to serve as a strategic point of contact for scholarly exchange.Originally published at italianstudies.nd.edu.

A tradition the world over, including at Notre Dame, Alexander Blachly leads the Notre Dame Chorale, Festival Baroque Orchestra, and student soloists in Handel’s beloved masterpiece. Friday, December 6, and Saturday, December 7. For tickets, call 574-631-2800 or visit performingarts.nd.edu. Originally published at music.nd.edu.

A tradition the world over, including at Notre Dame, Alexander Blachly leads the Notre Dame Chorale, Festival Baroque Orchestra, and student soloists in Handel’s beloved masterpiece. Friday, December 6, and Saturday, December 7. For tickets, call 574-631-2800 or visit performingarts.nd.edu. Originally published at music.nd.edu.

The University Band presents a concert with marches, contemporary concert band pieces, holiday music, and traditional Notre Dame favorites. The University Band is a concert band for current students and staff, faculty, and alumni of Notre Dame, Saint Mary’s, and Holy Cross. For tickets, call 574-631-2800 or visit performingarts.nd.edu. Originally published at music.nd.edu.

The Notre Dame Jazz Band program features two "traditional" jazz ensembles and a New Orleans Brass Band. The bands perform a wide variety of music, ranging from jazz classics and vocal selections, to new works and transcriptions. For tickets, call 574-631-2800 or visit performingarts.nd.edu. Originally published at music.nd.edu.

Notre Dame Children's Choir perform songs of the season in its annual Lessons and Carols, featuring the younger ensembles: Cherub, Cantabile and Descant Choirs.  Originally published at sma.nd.edu.

Collegium Musicum presents music spanning several generations of the Bach family, including the motet Fürchte dich nicht of J.S. Bach. For tickets, call 574-631-2800 or visit performingarts.nd.edu. Originally published at music.nd.edu.

The Notre Dame Glee Club and Symphony Orchestra present a festive array of classical and popular music for the season. Concerts on Saturday, December 14, 8:30 PM and Sunday, December 15, 2:30 PM. For tickets, call 574-631-2800 or visit performingarts.nd.edu. Originally published at music.nd.edu.