Alessandro Barbero @ OGR Talks
presents San Francesco, his new book

Wednesday, September 17, 2025 | 6.30 PM
Sala Fucine | OGR Torino

An event by OGR Torino in collaboration with Laterza

Free entry. Reservations available from September 3, 2025.

An Italian Sign Language (LIS) interpreter will be present at the event to ensure accessibility for all participants.

On Wednesday, September 17, 2025, at 6.30 PM, Professor Alessandro Barbero returns to OGR Torino for a new OGR Talks event, where he will present San Francesco, his latest book published by Laterza.

From the stage of Sala Fucine, Barbero will retrace the life of one of the most iconic saints in Catholic tradition, combining the precision of a historian with the flair of a storyteller. Drawing on both official and unofficial biographies, he offers a portrait of a far more complex man than popular portrayals suggest. St. Francis of Assisi was not only a proto-environmentalist and a man of peace, he was also a tormented soul, at times severe, capable of great compassion but also unexpected harshness.

ALESSANDRO BARBERO
Alessandro Barbero taught Medieval History at the University of Eastern Piedmont. He won the Strega Prize in 1996 with his historical novel Bella vita e guerre altrui di Mr. Pyle, gentiluomo, was a longtime contributor to Piero Angela’s Superquark, and his podcasts are among the most listened to in Italy. He has published over ten works with Laterza, including Dizionario del Medioevo (with Chiara Frugoni), Medioevo. Storia di voci, racconto di immagini (with Chiara Frugoni), and Carlo Magno. Un padre dell’Europa.

USEFUL INFORMATION

• Admission with reservation begins at 6 PMand is guaranteed until 6.30 PM. After that time, seats may be reassigned.


• Attendees with a waitlist ticket may join a dedicated queue. Admission for waitlist ticket holders will only be possible if seats remain after all reserved guests have entered. Entry will be granted in order of arrival.


• At the end of the event, if in possession of a copy of the book, it will be possible to participate in the book signing.


• During the event, copies of San Francesco will be available for purchase at the OGR Torino bookshop.


• Waitlist attendees will be admitted until capacity is reached.


• You may reserve for a maximum of two people. After filling out the reservation form, you’ll see the message “You’re almost there!”. Each of the two email addresses provided will receive a confirmation email.


• Reservations are valid only once confirmed and upon receipt of the QR code required for entry. Until each user confirms via the provided email, the seat remains unassigned and available to others.


• If confirmation is not completed in time, the seat will be reassigned and the user will be placed on the waitlist. We recommend completing the entire process promptly to avoid losing your spot.