L’incanto del serpente. Gramsci in contrappunto tra Giorgio Baratta e Alberto M. Cirese

Abstract

The relationship between Giorgio Baratta and Alberto Mario Cirese was short but intense. They actually met in the Spring of 2008, and Baratta died less than two years later. But from the beginning Baratta treated Cirese with both human warmth and a respect for his scientific work that won the confidence of the older scholar. Gramsci was the link between them. Cirese had studied and discussed Gramsci’s work for something like thirty years, starting from the early publications of the prison work. Baratta really discovered Cirese’s work on Gramsci much later, probably only when he was working on his 2007 book, Antonio Gramsci in contrappunto (Antonio Gramsci in Counterpoint). He deeply appreciated Cirese’s work, and felt he had to meet him and to initiate a direct dialogue with him. The meeting took place, and Baratta was able to promote a rich two-day conference in Sardinia on October 2008, with Cirese himself as guest of honour and the participation of many other scholars.