“Per ambizione e per sempre”: Lorenzo Dominioni’s medieval novel presented at Villa Toeplitz

On Tuesday 17 November 2026, at 4.30 pm, at Villa Toeplitz in Varese, the University of Insubria's International Research Centre for Local Histories and Cultural Diversity will present “Per ambizione e per sempre. Un romanzo medievale” by Lorenzo Dominioni, Honorary Professor of General Surgery at the University. Renzo Dionigi, former Rector of the University of Insubria, and Gianmarco Gaspari, a former lecturer in Italian Literature at the University, will join the author for a discussion.

The event marks the launch of a programme dedicated to promoting medieval history, organised by the Centre for Local Histories. The programme will continue in 2027 with lectures on the medieval historical and artistic heritage of the Varese area and the publication of the eighth volume of Storia di Varese, devoted to the Middle Ages. The event is part of the University's third mission activities, aimed at making historical research accessible to a wider audience and encouraging dialogue with the local community.

Published by Edizioni Zerotre in 2026, the novel tells the story of Rufo, a young cleric from Pavia who aspires to an ecclesiastical career but, while experiencing a crisis of vocation, decides to join the Crusade of the Lombards. Following the defeat of the expedition and an eventful stay in Constantinople, he returns to Pavia, where his ambitions and personal experiences become intertwined with the reconstruction of the Basilica of San Michele. Through medieval symbols, art and inner conflicts, the novel explores the relationship between personal aspirations, moral choices and the consequences of one's actions.

Lorenzo Dominioni has combined his career as a surgeon with thirty years of study of symbolism in art history, with a particular focus on Armenian culture and medieval sculpture. The author of scientific essays and works of fiction, he has given lectures and lecture series on artistic symbolism, including the Simboli dell'infinito lectures held in Varese from 2023 to 2026. His novel Per ambizione e per sempre was awarded third place in the Premio Letterario Città di Verona.

The book presentation will offer an opportunity to explore the relationship between history, art and medieval fiction through a discussion involving the author, Renzo Dionigi, Emeritus Professor of General Surgery and President of the Centre for Local Histories, and Gianmarco Gaspari, a scholar of Italian literature and former Scientific Director of the Centre.

The event is open to the University community and the general public. Admission is free.