The Una cioccolata con Padre Martini
lecture series returns to Bologna’s San Francesco Library for its fifth edition this October, exploring the profound intersections between Franciscan spirituality, musical history, and the city’s UNESCO creative designation Bologna Città della Musica UNESCO.
Franciscan Musical Conversations and October 2026 Schedule
Curated by Elisabetta Pasquini of the University of Bologna, the fifth edition of the Officina San Francesco Bologna series features Saturday afternoon appointments at 17:45 inside the Biblioteca San Francesco Bologna. Admission is free, with events open to the public.
- Saturday, October 17, 2026: Anna Quaranta (
N. Paganini
Conservatory of Genoa) presents on Francis Poulenc’sQuatre petites prières de saint François d’Assise
, featuring performances by theFlos musicae
ensemble directed by Giorgio Musolesi. - Saturday, October 24, 2026: Mariateresa Storino (
G. Rossini
Conservatory of Pesaro) delivers a lecture titledFranz Liszt, un “francescano” atipico
, accompanied by live performances of Franz Liszt’sDeux légendes per pianoforte
S. 175 by Nicola Pantani. - Saturday, October 31, 2026: Francesco Finocchiaro (
G. Rossini
Conservatory of Pesaro) exploresFrate Sole” (1919): un poema sacro tra wagnerismo e cinema
, with live musical examples by flutist Birgit Nolte and pianist Rossella Spinosa.
Historical Traditions and European Networks
The series draws its inspiration from Padre Giambattista Martini, celebrated historically for both his immense scholarship and his jovial hospitality Una cioccolata con Padre Martini. Padre Martini famously offered chocolate to distinguished visitors at the San Francesco convent—including figures like the elder and younger Mozart and Christoph Willibald Gluck Una cioccolata con Padre Martini. Building on his extensive European networks, the contemporary sessions expand their scope beyond the master himself to encompass fellow Franciscan musicians, precursors, pupils, and artists who maintained close relationships with the Order of Friars Minor Conventual Una cioccolata con Padre Martini.
