Prague – The first scientific congress promoted by an Italian institution dedicated to esotericism, occultism and fantastic was held at the Italian Institute of Culture in Prague. Titled “Craving the unknown. Esotericism, occultism and fantastic in the Italian literature from the fin de siècle to avant-garde ” the international conference was organized by the Department of Italian Studies of the Faculty of Arts, University Charles IV in Prague, in collaboration with the Institute. From April 13th to 15th more than sixty scholars from different countries have gathered at the headquarters of the IIC from Milan, Bologna, Pisa, Naples, Venice, Perugia, Parma, Paris, Prague, Madrid, Warsaw, Edinburgh, Bonn, Antwerp, Malta and Bucharest. In the Czech capital they discussed about the narrative outcomes of the “crisis of rationality” and the relationship between literature and esotericism, fantastic, spiritualism and so-called “occult sciences”. (9Colonne)
