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MEDIA CONTACT: Department of Religion and Classics (585) 275-5378 or Helene Snihur (585) 275-7800
October 23, 2003
In the 14th century, the Italian writer Boccaccio penned the Decameron,
a literary classic structured as 100 traditional tales told over the span of
10 days by a group of young aristocrats who retreated to a country villa to
escape the plague.
This year, the Decameron is the subject of the Department of Religion
and Classics' annual reading event. From noon to 1 p.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 29,
faculty, staff, and students will take turns reading some of the Decameron's
lively and amusing stories in the Welles-Brown Room of Rush Rhees Library. All
the readings will be done in English; visitors can stop by and stay as long
as they would like.
Donatella Stocchi-Perucchio, associate professor of Italian, will introduce
and offer commentary on the text. In addition, she and Associate Professor of
Mechanical Engineering Renato Perucchio will perform a scene from the Decameron
in Italian.
The Decameron is an important piece of literature that straddles the
end of the Middle Ages and the beginning of the Renaissance, providing a glimpse
of human behavior during a time of change in social institutions and values.
The annual Classics Reading Event began in 1999 with a marathon reading of the
Odyssey and has featured such ancient texts as Socrates' Apology
and Aristophanes' Lysistrata. This year's reading is organized and sponsored
by several student organizations: Eta Sigma Phi, the classics honor society;
the Religion and Classics Council; and the Medieval Society. For more information,
contact the Department of Religion and Classics at x5-5378.
The University of Rochester (www.rochester.edu) is one of the nation's leading private universities. Located in Rochester, N.Y., the University gives students exceptional opportunities for interdisciplinary study and close collaboration with faculty through its unique cluster-based curriculum. Its College of Arts, Sciences, and Engineering is complemented by the Eastman School of Music, Simon School of Business, Warner School of Education, Laboratory for Laser Energetics, Schools of Medicine and Nursing, and the Memorial Art Gallery.
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