It was great to come together for this year’s second BRICC Network meeting in Berlin! We enjoyed hearing the inspiring contributions by Bettina, Fernanda, Mariana, and Marília, and took the opportunity to exchange ideas and discuss current and future projects within our network. #academicsky

Another example of Brazilian-Italian contacts in Brazilian literature is João Silverio Trevisan's Ana em Veneza. It tells the story of Júlia Mann, her Black nurse Ana, and composer Alberto Nepomuceno in Venice in 1890. Exile connects them, weaving together cultures, art, and the quest for belonging.

Today, another Italian in Brazilian literature: Machado de Assis often included Italian characters in his works. One example is the fortune teller in A Cartomante. Such figures reveal the cultural presence of Italy within 19th-century Brazilian literature. #ItalyBrazil

Once you're trained to look for it, you find Italians anywhere in Brazilian literature. One example is the following paragraph from the German version of José Henrique Bortoluci's book "O que é meu", translated by Maria Hummitzsch. #academicsky

Last week, Luca Bacchini gave a lecture on Clarice Lispector at the UERJ in Rio de Janeiro. In August, he also presented his research on Chico Buarque and Nélson Rodrigues there. Together with his talk, an international cooperation between La Sapienza in Rome and the UERJ was launched. #academicsky

Did you know that Nelson Pereira dos Santos hired two Italians (father and son) for several of his films? Manfredo and Arduino Colasanti came to Brazil in 1947, and the son (Arduino) even played various leading roles for dos Santos, for example in Como era gostoso o meu francês. #ItalyBrazil

Last week, we met in Cologne for an engaging exchange. We had the pleasure of discussing our work, planned future activities and enjoyed fascinating presentations by Luca Bacchini and Jobst Welge on their projects. A big thanks to everyone who participated! #academicsky #edusky

Do you know that Giuseppe Ungaretti spent five years in Brazil? From 1937-1942, the Italian poet taught literature at the USP and became familiar with Brazilian culture. During this time, his brother and his son died – two painful experiences, he later turned into poetry. #ItalyBrazil

We continue with fine arts and the Italian painter Giorgio de Chirico (1888/1978). He never visited Brazil, but was strongly connected within the international art scene, which is why he painted Clarice Lispector in Rome and is supposed to be the painter of the following portrait of Lina Bo Bardi:

Here’s a memory of our last meeting in 2024. The talks proofed once again how manifold Brazilian-Italian relations are and the importance of discussing them extensively. Many thanks to @tristanweddigen.bsky.social from Hertziana for hosting us and to Fernanda Marinho for organizing this nice event.

Last weekend our second BRICC meeting took place in Leipzig. We had a great time with good discussions and presentations. Special thanks to our member Jobst Welge for hosting us in Leipzig.

Another book that talks about the Brás neighborhood and the Italian community there is "Nas ruas do Brás" by Drauzio Varella. It’s supposed to be a children’s book, but adults can read it, as well. #ItalyBrazil

Greetings from Sapienza University in Rome, where our members Fernanda, Luca and Janek participate in the Jornadas de estudio sobre Relaciones Transatlánticas: España-Italia-América Latina. Luca Bacchini co-organized the event and it's a pleasure to share thoughts, ideas and insights on circulation.

Last week, we had a great kick-off at the University of Cologne! We discussed the key concept of the network (circulation) and our individual projects. Also, we planned future activities like additional workshops, a position paper, an edited volume, an exhibition etc. Looking forward to it all! 🎉