News
Leggo Manzoni/Wo-Dú Manzoni. Reading The Betrothed in Beijing
March 25, 2026. The closing event of the project Reading The Betrothed in Beijing will take place at Casa del Manzoni. The event will see the participation of the President of Casa Manzoni, Prof. Mauro Novelli, the Director of the National and European Edition of Alessandro Manzoni, Prof. Giulia Raboni, the Director of the Italian Cultural Institute in Beijing, Federico Antonelli, and Prof. Silvano Mo Cheng from Peking University, together with the students who took part in the project. Prof. Fu Haifeng, Chinese Director of the Confucius Institute of Milan, Prof. Bettina Mottura from the University of Milan, and the students of IIS Cremona-Zappa in Milan, led by Prof. Rossella Bartolucci, will also participate.
Paola Italia, project coordinator, together with students and PhD candidates: Luca Ciarfella, Francesca Gaeta, Hu Xiangting, Mariia Levchenko, Yihua Li, Irene Gloria Piattoni, Roberta Priore, Yixuan Qu, Lorenzo Sabatino, Laura Trombini, Ersilia Russo, Monica Valentini, Guo Xinyi from the University of Bologna, will present the Leggo Manzoni platform, complete with the Chinese translation, and will perform a series of staged readings of passages from the novel in Chinese, in connection with the Italian Cultural Institute in Beijing.
Accidenti, Manzoni!
On December 5, 2025, from 3:00 to 4:45 p.m. in the Pascoli Room (Via Zamboni 32), a meeting for DHDK students, PhD students, and DH.Arc will present Digital Humanities projects from the Peking University DH Lab (Prof. Qi Su, Dr. Zhaoji Wang, pkudh.org). Afterwards, from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m. in the same room, there will be a presentation of LEGGO MANZONI – WO-DÚ MANZONI, featuring readings from The Betrothed in multiple languages and the performance La voce di Manzoni (by Nicola Bonazzi).
Leggo Manzoni/Wo-Dú Manzoni
December 4–5, 2025. The Leggo Manzoni/Wo-Dú Manzoni project returns to the University of Bologna with two days of meetings and workshops. On December 4, from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. in the Affreschi Room (Via Zamboni 34), a session devoted to the Leggo Manzoni – Wo-Dú Manzoni project will take place within the course Scholarly Editing and Digital Textuality, with Paola Italia, Roberta Priore, Lorenzo Sabatino, Mariia Levchenko, Silvano Cheng, Qi Su, and Zhaoji Wang.
On December 5, from 3:00 to 4:45 p.m. in the Pascoli Room (Via Zamboni 32), a meeting for DHDK students, PhD students, and DH.Arc will present Digital Humanities projects from the Peking University DH Lab (Prof. Qi Su, Dr. Zhaoji Wang, pkudh.org). Afterwards, from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m. in the same room, there will be a presentation of LEGGO MANZONI – WO-DÚ MANZONI, including readings from The Betrothed in multiple languages and the performance Accidenti, Manzoni! (by Nicola Bonazzi).
Leggo Manzoni in Beijing and a New Portal on Italian Works Translated into Chinese
During the Week of the Italian Language in the World, Leggo Manzoni was presented at the Italian Cultural Institute in Beijing by Prof. Silvano Mo Cheng, together with the project Bibliografia delle opere italiane tradotte in cinese (2000–2025), a new web portal developed in collaboration with Prof. Qi Su and her research group at Peking University. The bibliography, freely accessible online, collects and makes searchable Italian works translated into Chinese between 2000 and 2025, providing an important resource for scholars, students, and anyone interested in the circulation of Italian literature in China.
Leggo Manzoni on Treccani
The project Leggo Manzoni/Wo-Dú Manzoni has recently been featured on Treccani in Federico Pani’s article “Leggo Manzoni a Pechino: Wo-Dú Manzoni” (21 October 2025), which outlines the main stages of the collaboration between the University of Bologna, Peking University and the project partners. The article describes the research visit to Beijing, the work with the Digital Humanities centre at Peking University, and the role of Leggo Manzoni as a digital platform for reading, translating and teaching The Betrothed.
2025 Researchers' Night
September 26, 2025. At the 2025 Researchers' Night, Leggo Manzoni drew a curious audience, who explored the translations of The Betrothed and took part in the MEMORY MANZONI game. The web version of the memory game was built by Francesca Gaeta: play online. We warmly thank the organizers, the technical staff, and especially Cecilia Salerno, Laura Trombini, Luca Ciarfella, and Martina Pensalfini for their enthusiasm.
TEI Encoding as a Unified Structure for Multilingual Digital Editions: The LeggoManzoni Case Study at AIUCD 2025
June 13, 2025. At the AIUCD 2025 conference (Associazione per l'Informatica Umanistica e la Cultura Digitale), the Leggo Manzoni project was presented through the paper "TEI Encoding as a Unified Structure for Multilingual Digital Editions: The LeggoManzoni Case Study". The presentation, delivered by Mariia Levchenko (Università "Alma Mater" di Bologna), Beatrice Nava (Universität Wien), and Ersilia Russo (Università degli Studi di Firenze), illustrated the innovative methodological approach developed for creating multilingual digital editions.
The paper demonstrated how TEI encoding can serve as a unified framework for managing multiple translations and versions of literary works within a single digital environment. Using The Betrothed as a case study, the presentation showcased the technical solutions implemented in the Leggo Manzoni platform to align and correlate texts across different languages while maintaining scholarly precision and accessibility for both researchers and students.
Visit to the Research Center for Digital Humanities of Peking University
March 18, 2025. The morning of March 18 was dedicated to a visit to the Research Center for Digital Humanities at Peking University. We were welcomed and guided by Professor Qi Su, one of the Center’s founders, and the current director, Jun Wang, who showed us the facilities and introduced us to their research teams.
Following the tour, a roundtable discussion was held to share ongoing research projects and digital practices in the field of Digital Humanities at the University of Bologna and Peking University. Representing the University of Bologna, Roberta Priore presented the work of the department’s ADLab, highlighting the key steps for proper digitization of archival sources, using the Giuseppe Raimondi collection as a case study. This collection contains a variety of materials, including the author's handwritten notebooks. Her presentation was followed by an overview of digital teaching paths, virtual exhibitions, and digital editions, with a focus on the VaSto, edition of Storia fiorentina by Benedetto Varchi.
The conversation continued with presentations from the hosts, showcasing four projects that effectively integrate historical tradition and digital innovation. The first was Shī Qiān Jiā, an AI-powered platform capable of generating Chinese classical poetry. By entering just a few keywords, users can produce refined verses based on centuries of literary tradition. The second project introduced was the National Rare Book Catalog System, developed in collaboration with the National Library of China. It offers interactive interfaces, semantic visualizations, and mapping tools to explore the transmission and distribution of ancient texts.
The third project, Shídiǎn, was presented as a robust platform for reading, annotating, and studying classical texts, featuring advanced tools such as character recognition, automated punctuation, and access to digitized materials. Finally, the session concluded with Guanchao, a project that brings Song-dynasty textual descriptions to life. Using generative AI, it transforms literary passages into animated scenes and visual representations inspired by traditional Chinese painting, offering a completely new way to "see" the past.
The encounter fostered a valuable exchange on two levels — literature and Digital Humanities — opening up new perspectives for research and future collaboration.
Alessandro Manzoni e I Promessi Sposi: dalle carte al Web
Italian Cultural Institute in Beijing, March 20, 2025. As part of the Leggo Manzoni/Wo-Dú Manzoni project, on March 20, 2025, the Italian Cultural Institute in Beijing hosted a lecture by Professors Giulia Raboni (University of Parma) and Paola Italia (University of Bologna). The event delved into Alessandro Manzoni's biography and literary work, focusing on the three drafts of The Betrothed and their philological development.
Two essential digital tools were presented: the Manzoni Online portal, providing access to manuscripts, letters, and the author's library, and the Leggo Manzoni platform, a digital environment that illustrate 1840-42 edition with critical commentaries and translations. This event marked a significant moment in the exchange project between the University of Bologna and Peking University, aimed at promoting Italian literature in China through Digital Humanities and collaborative, peer-to-peer teaching.
The LeggoManzoni workshop at Peking University
March 20, 2025. On March 20, the University of Bologna team led an innovative workshop at Peking University, introducing Chinese students to digital humanities methodologies via Manzoni's I Promessi Sposi. The session featured two presentations: First, Prof. Paola Italia discussed the evolution of the novel from Fermo e Lucia to I Promessi Sposi. Next, Mariia Levchenko presented on multilingual digital editions and the LeggoManzoni platform's pipeline for integrating multiple translations across languages and time periods.
The highlight was the hands-on XML/TEI markup workshop, in which the Chinese students learned to encode Zhang Shihua's 1998 translation of the novel into Chinese. This peer-to-peer learning experience showcased the platform's segment-level alignment technology, enabling precise correlation between the original Italian text and the Chinese translation segments. Students practiced TEI encoding principles while contributing to the expansion of the TRADUCO MANZONI module. This module is part of a broader international collaboration between the universities of Bologna and Peking aimed at making Italian literature more accessible through innovative digital tools.
Leggo Manzoni/Wo-Dú Manzoni. Reading The Betrothed in Beijing
March 13–25, 2025. From March 13 to 25, 2025, the Leggo Manzoni project will be presented at Peking University, as part of the initiative: Leggo Manzoni/Wo-Dú Manzoni. Reading The Betrothed in Beijing, which aims to develop a series of educational collaborations between the University of Bologna (Prof. Paola Italia), the University of Parma (Prof. Giulia Raboni), the degree course in Italian Language and Literature, and the Digital Humanities center at Peking University, coordinated by Prof. Silvano Mo Cheng. The project, developed under the patronage of the National Center for Manzonian Studies, in collaboration with the Italian Cultural Institute in Beijing and the Treccani Foundation, will run from 2025 to 2026, and will involve – through an innovative peer-to-peer teaching method – students from the University of Bologna as teaching tutors and students from Peking University.
To learn more visit the dedicated page or read the article on UniBo Magazine.
"Bringing Manzoni to China" – Corriere di Bologna
March 12, 2025. Today, Corriere di Bologna published an article entitled "Bringing Manzoni to China" describing the Unibo project "Leggo Manzoni/Wo-Dú Manzoni" led by Prof. Paola Italia. The article, written by Massimo Marino, describes the initiative that will make The Betrothed available in Chinese, through the collaboration between the University of Bologna, the University of Parma and Peking University with Prof. Silvano Mo Cheng.
Read the full article on the Corriere di Bologna.
Leggo Manzoni in Resto del Carlino
March 11, 2025. Today, the newspaper Il Resto del Carlino has published an in-depth article on the project "Leggo Manzoni/Wo-Dú Manzoni. Reading The Betrothed in Beijing". In the article, journalist Martina Spaggiari describes the Alma Mater initiative that will lead to the creation of a digital edition of Alessandro Manzoni's novel with a parallel Chinese text.
The article highlights the cultural and innovative value of the project, with Prof. Paola Italia explaining: "The Betrothed is the only required novel in our schools, and certainly the least loved." She also points out how the project is part of a path started years ago: "Manzoni became a digital humanities case study and in 2014 the website alessandromanzoni.org was born, a pioneering operation which later inspired all other monographic sites."
Read the full article on Resto del Carlino.
Publication of the Proceedings of the Training Course "Manzoni and Leopardi in Digital"
February 19, 2025. The volume "Manzoni e Leopardi in digitale: idee e progetti per la scuola", edited by Ersilia Russo, has been published by CLUEB and collects the proceedings of the Teacher Training Course held in Bologna in September 2023. The volume, which includes the presentation of Leggo Manzoni as part of the course, offers a broad overview of digital tools for teaching Italian literature.
For more information and to read an extract of the volume, visit the dedicated page on the CLUEB website.
Leggo Manzoni in the Sole 24 Ore podcast
February 2, 2025. The volume Manzoni and Leopardi in Digital, edited by Ersilia Russo (CLUEB, 2024), was mentioned in the Sole 24 Ore podcast dedicated to the characters of The Betrothed. The podcast is available on the Sole 24 Ore platform.
The volume collects the proceedings of the Teacher Training Course "Manzoni e Leopardi in digitale: idee e progetti per la scuola", held in Bologna on September 19 and 21, 2023, organized in collaboration with CUBO, Museo d'impresa del Gruppo Unipol, as part of PRIN Manzoni 2020 and PRIN Leopardi 2020, and with the support of the Italian Association for Digital Humanities and Digital Culture (AIUCD).
Leggo Manzoni at the Academy of Sciences of Bologna
January 21, 2025. Leggo Manzoni was presented at the Academy of Sciences of Bologna, as part of the lecture The Libraries of Alessandro Manzoni, given by Profs. Paola Italia and Giulia Raboni, for the cycle: Speaking Books: Journey through the Libraries of Authors, designed by Prof. Loredana Chines.
For more information: visit the event page
Alma Leopardi 2024 – 2nd Edition: Il libro delle Canzoni
November 28, 2024. At the Academy of Sciences of Bologna (sala Manfredi, via Zamboni 31, Bologna) the second edition of Alma Leopardi took place, dedicated to the "libro delle Canzoni". The event was divided into two main sessions:
The First Session (10:00–13:00), coordinated by Gisele Marozzi and Roberta Priore, featured talks by Christian Genetelli on "Un libro non come gli altri?" and Maria Maddalena Lombardi on "Alle Canzoni sono da fare alcune prose: i 'paratesti' del 1824". Emilio Russo presented "Sugli autografi delle canzoni. Descrizioni e note critiche".
The Second Session (14:30–18:30), coordinated by Ilaria Burattini and Marcello Dani, included a talk by Giorgio Panizza on "Immaginazione: morte e impeto" and the presentation of "Canzoni di Giacomo Leopardi. Tomo I: testi editi e documenti dell'officina del 1824", edited by Ilaria Burattini and Roberta Priore, with an introduction by Christian Genetelli (Bites, 2024). The day ended with the presentation of the volume "E roverar le stelle ad una ad una. Conti" (Milan, BUR, 2024) and "Manzoni and Leopardi in Digital. Ideas and Projects for Schools" (Clueb, 2024).
Leggo Manzoni on NewItalianBook
November 28, 2024. Leggo Manzoni was presented by Beatrice Nava in the "Inchieste" section of NewItalianBooks.it.
Read the article: Leggo Manzoni/Wo-dú Manzoni: Reading The Betrothed in Beijing
Manzoni and Leopardi in Digital: Ideas and Projects for Schools
September 19 & 21, 2023. At CUBO in Porta Europa (Piazza Vieira de Mello 5, Bologna) the SOFIA-accredited teacher training course "Manzoni and Leopardi in Digital: Ideas and Projects for Schools" was held. The event, organized by the University of Bologna "Alma Mater" in collaboration with CUBO, the business museum of the Unipol Group, as part of PRIN Manzoni 2020 and PRIN Leopardi 2020, was attended by many experts in the field.
Among the presentations dedicated to Manzoni: the LECTIO MAGISTRALIS by Salvatore Silvano Nigro on "Manzoni today", the presentation of the Manzoni Online portal and its educational applications by Prof. Giulia Raboni, and the talk by Prof. Paola Italia on "Why still The Betrothed in school?". Special attention was paid to digital tools for teaching, including Leggo Manzoni, Philoeditor, the "Sposi promessi" on Spotify, and the use of Voyant Tools for The Betrothed.
