The Filangieri-Franklin Correspondence: Foundational Dialogue Between Italy and America
Celebrate a foundational intellectual dialogue between Italy and America, followed by a reception marking Italian Heritage Month and the opening of Changing Faces of Independence.
The Historical Society of Pennsylvania and the Consulate General of Italy in Philadelphia are pleased to present an evening exploring one of the earliest intellectual connections between Italy and the United States. Beginning with a hybrid lecture by Professor Amedeo Arena, Full Professor of European Union Law at the University of Naples Federico II, the program will examine the enduring significance of the correspondence between Gaetano Filangieri and Benjamin Franklin and the Enlightenment ideals that helped shape modern conceptions of liberty, government, and the pursuit of happiness. Drawing on Professor Arena’s recent publication, Cittadino di tutti i luoghi, contemporaneo di tutte l’età: l’universalità del pensiero di Gaetano Filangieri, the lecture will reflect on Filangieri’s influence 250 years after the Declaration of Independence.
Following the lecture, guests are invited to a reception marking both the opening of Italian Heritage Month and the debut of HSP’s exhibition, Changing Faces of Independence: Pennsylvania in the 1900s, which explores the evolving communities and identities that have shaped the Commonwealth’s story. A temporary exhibit of original documents related to the Filangieri-Franklin correspondence will also be on view for this evening only.
About the Speaker
Amedeo Arena is Full Professor of European Law at the University of Naples Federico II. His research explores the transatlantic circulation of Enlightenment ideas, with particular emphasis on the correspondence between Gaetano Filangieri and Benjamin Franklin. He has lectured on this subject in Italy and the United States and edited a volume on Filangieri’s thought featuring a transcription of the Filangieri-Franklin correspondence from the original manuscripts. In 2026, the volume received the Amerigo literary award from the U.S. Consulate General in Naples in connection with the celebrations of the 250th anniversary of the U.S. Declaration of Independence. Professor Arena's research also led to the posthumous recognition of Domenico Cirillo as the first Italian member of the American Philosophical Society. He edits Transatlantic Enlightenment, a column for We the Italians exploring the Enlightenment ideals that continue to unite Italy and the United States.
