October 24th, 2025 — When the Fellows of Group 4 weren’t in their studios engrossed in work or out in the gardens connecting with one another, they were out and about participating in regional festivals and events.
On October 3rd, Hernan Diaz was invited to the Santa Maddalena Foundation for the inaugural event of the Santa Maddalena Foundation Library, where he was in conversation with Pablo Maurette, director of the library, about his work and the importance of libraries generally for the work of a writer. Hernan also read from his Pulitzer Prize-winning novel Trust and met with Patricio Pron (DG 2014), who is currently in residency at the Library.
On October 4th, Gioconda Belli spoke at Teatro Il Pavone in Perugia for the Questa è Acqua Literary Festival. She read some of her poetry and discussed the books and authors who have most influenced her.
Gioconda, Hernan, and Fernanda Trías attended Literatura y Pluralidad, a conference at the University of Perugia, on October 14th where they discussed intersections between literature and language. They were also invited to meet with students and answer their questions.
Meanwhile, in Rome, Jeremy Dennis was invited to speak on a panel titled “Perspectives on Native American Art and Identity” at John Cabot University and engage with international students. Scholars and artists from three different departments—Art and Design, History and Humanities, and Modern Languages and Literature, highlighted the cultural, social, and historical importance of Jeremy’s work.
Civitella’s Residency Director, Diego Mencaroni, explained:
“It’s important to Civitella that Fellows, whose work schedules allow for it, share their talents and perspectives with communities around the Castle. We hope, in turn, that access to this kind of cross-cultural exchange provides value for Fellows. It is also very meaningful for us to forge relationships with institutions such as the University of Perugia, one of the most important and prestigious in Italy. We are proud to be considered a point of reference by these other institutions, and bringing the excellence of Civitella beyond the Castle increases the visibility of and esteem held for our institution.”
