9 March 2016) Monica Quirico is a researcher at the Aldo Agosti Institute for Resistance History and Contemporary Society in Turin (Istoreto), and tomorrow (from 1pm to 3pm) she will be in Stockholm for a conference on “The good soldier and the mater dolorosa. War, nation and gender in the history of Italy.” The event, underwritten by the Italian Cultural Institute of Culture in Stockholm, takes place at Södertörn University (PC249, PRIMUS-huset). The focus of the lecture is the narrative of conflict. From the Italian Risorgimento to the latest international military missions, the representation of the war has been characterized, in Italy, by the coexistence of two images: the warrior hero (who is distinguished not only for courage and dedication, but also for sensitivity and generosity towards the enemy population) and the grieving mother (ready to sacrifice her child for the good of the Nation). How did this narrative develop over time, and how did the different institutions (state, church, family) shape and communicate it? These and other questions will find an answer tomorrow, with Monica Quirico, who will also analyze the topic surround the death of a soldier and the grief of his family. Quirico’s research interests include Swedish and Italian history and politics in a comparative perspective. The researcher is currently part of an international research project coordinated by the University of Stockholm and financed by the National Council of Swedish research (VR) entitled “The Politics of Military Loss in Contemporary Europe “. (PO / red)
