LECTURES

Free lectures presented in collaboration with the European Institute of the Mediterranean

Copernicus and the Revolution of the Celestial Spheres

Sergi Grau

Tuesday, 11 August · 5:30 pm
L’alberg | SANTES CREUS

Sergi Grau Torras holds a degree in History, a Master’s in the History of Science, and a PhD in Philosophy (UAB). His research focuses primarily on medicine, natural philosophy and science during the Middle Ages and the Renaissance, as well as on medieval heresies such as the Cathars and Waldensians. He is currently Associate Professor in the History of Science at the UAB and a member of Jordi Savall’s team at the International Centre for Ancient Music Foundation, where he works in cultural management, institutional development, historical research and dramaturgy for musical projects. In 2017 he received the Joaquim Carreras i Artau Philosophy Prize from the Institut d’Estudis Catalans for his book Les transformacions d’Aristòtil: Filosofia natural i medicina a Montpeller. El cas d’Arnau de Vilanova (IEC, 2020).

This lecture will explore how Nicolaus Copernicus (1473-1543) revolutionised Western science in general, and astronomy in particular, by proposing a heliocentric model that placed the Sun at the centre of the system, in contrast to the prevailing geocentric model. This marked a decisive turning point between medieval tradition and the Renaissance.

The Eclipse: Between Reality and Myth

Manuel Sanromà & Jorge Rodríguez Ariza

Thursday, 13 August · 5:30 pm
El Casalot | SANTES CREUS

On the one hand, Manuel Sanromà is Professor of Applied Mathematics at the Rovira i Virgili University. He is a member of the Internet Society and president of CIVICA, an association that promotes free access to and responsible use of Artificial Intelligence. On the other hand, Jorge Rodríguez Ariza holds a PhD in Art History from the Autonomous University of Barcelona, specialising in sacred art and symbolism. He currently works at the Museum of the Monastery of Sant Cugat, developing projects devoted to the research and dissemination of the language of medieval art. These two contrasting yet complementary profiles will explore the phenomenon of eclipses by building a bridge between astronomy, art and thought, combining scientific rigour with the cultural and symbolic interpretations these events have inspired throughout history.

Thinking About Peace in Times of War from the Mediterranean

Lola Bañón

Friday, 14 August · 5:30 pm
Institut d’Estudis Vallencs | VALLS

This lecture offers a critical reflection on the contemporary world from a Mediterranean perspective, focusing on current conflicts, their human, political and cultural consequences, and the narratives that explain and shape them. Drawing on an interdisciplinary approach, it will address issues such as war and forms of resistance, the economy of conflict, the ethics of peace, and the role of culture and mediation in building alternatives. The session invites audiences to view the Mediterranean not only as a space of tension, but also as a territory of dialogue, memory and possibilities for imagining coexistence and peace in times of war.

Lola Bañón is a journalist, professor of Corporate Communication and Institutional Relations at the University of Valencia, and holds a PhD in Communication. In 2017 she received Amnesty International’s Human Rights Defence Award.

Beyond the Eclipse

Maria Bartels

Saturday, 15 August · 5:30 pm
El Casalot | SANTES CREUS

Maria Bartels, a Dutch philosopher living in Catalonia and also trained in musicology, music and languages, is the author of Zijn in ontmoeting (“Being in Encounter”, 2000) and Zin in kwaliteit (“The Meaning of Quality”, 2005). Her work draws on (neo-)Platonic philosophy to explore inner transformation, touching and moving the human soul through love, beauty and profound dialogue. Since the 1990s she has worked as a coach and has given seminars and lectures through her philosophical practice known as “Phaidros”, a project in applied philosophy and personal development that integrates philosophy, psychology, different art forms and spirituality, using personal experiences and contemporary situations as points of departure.

Among her notable recent talks is her lecture at the international symposium “De gouden draad van de vrije geest” (“The Golden Thread of the Free Spirit”), held in Ariège in 2021, where she reflected on how, within the context of Catharism and the Occitan culture of fin amor in the 12th-13th centuries, two seemingly opposing forms of love — Eros and Agape — came together and converged. Since 2015 she has collaborated with her husband Jordi Savall as artistic adviser and consultant, writer and translator.

The Role of Culture in Today’s World

Debate moderated by Ramon Andrés

Sunday, 16 August · 5:30 pm
El Casalot | SANTES CREUS

Ramón Andrés is an essayist, poet and music scholar, author of numerous musical and literary studies. On this occasion, he will moderate a round-table discussion featuring several of the speakers from this edition of the Jordi Savall Festival, the festival’s general director Martí Sancliment, and the festival’s artistic director, performer and conductor Jordi Savall.

With the aim of creating a space for horizontal exchange and participation, the round table will be opened as a debate for all attendees who wish to contribute.