SACRED LEGACY ARCHIVES™

Umberto Eco

1932-01-05 – 2016-02-19

Collectie / Archief : Fotocollectie Anefo Reportage / Serie : [ onbekend ] Beschrijving : Italiaanse schrijver Umberto Eco , kop Datum : 22 mei 1984 Trefwoorden : schrijvers Fotograaf : Bogaerts, Rob / Anefo Auteursrechthebbende : Nationaal Archief Materiaalsoort : Negatief (zwart/wit) Nummer archiefinventaris : bekijk toegang 2.24.01.05 Bestanddeelnummer : 932-9758Credit: Rob Bogaerts for Anefo

Life & Legacy

Umberto Eco (5 January 1932 – 19 February 2016) was an Italian medievalist, philosopher, semiotician, novelist, cultural critic, and political and social commentator. In English, he is best known for his popular 1980 novel The Name of the Rose, a historical mystery combining semiotics in fiction with biblical analysis, medieval studies and literary theory, as well as Foucault's Pendulum, his 1988 novel which touches on the history of occultism and its contemporary interpretation through the new age movement.
Eco wrote prolifically throughout his life, with his output including children's books, translations from French and English, in addition to a twice-monthly newspaper column "La Bustina di Minerva" (Minerva's Matchbook) in the magazine L'Espresso beginning in 1985, with his last column (a critical appraisal of the Romantic paintings of Francesco Hayez) appearing 27 January 2016. At the time of his death, he was an Emeritus professor at the University of Bologna, where he taught for much of his life. In the 21st century, he has continued to gain recognition for his 1995 essay "Ur-Fascism", where Eco lists fourteen general properties he believes comprise fascist ideologies.

Occupation & Career

philosopher, novelist, essayist, pedagogue, screenwriter, translator, university teacher, semiologist, writer, literary critic, medievalist, literary scholar, historian

Education

University of Turin

Faith & Community

atheism

Accomplishments, Inventions & Publications

Officer of the Legion of Honour; Commandeur des Arts et des Lettres‎; Pour le Mérite for Sciences and Arts order; Knight Commander's Cross of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany; Honorary doctor of the Free University of Berlin; Honorary doctor of the University of Liège; honorary doctor of Tel Aviv University; honorary doctor of the University of Uppsala; honorary doctorate of the University of Glasgow; honorary doctor of the University of Athens; Honorary Doctorate of University of Buenos Aires; honorary doctor of Loyola University Chicago; honorary doctor of the University of Kent; Gold Medal of the Italian Order of Merit for Culture and Art; Strega Prize; Prix Médicis étranger; honorary doctor of the Katholieke Universiteit Leuven; honorary doctorate from Brown University; honorary doctor of the Sorbonne Nouvelle University; honorary doctor of Sofia University; honorary doctor of the University of Madrid Complutense; honorary doctorate; Knight Grand Cross of the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic; honorary doctor of the University of Tartu; honorary doctorate of Grenoble-III University; Princess of Asturias Award for Communications and Humanities; The VIZE 97 Prize; Austrian State Prize for European Literature; honorary doctor of Rutgers University; honorary doctor of the Marie and Louis Pasteur University; honorary doctor of the University of Belgrade; honorary doctorate from University of Paris-II; Cesare Pavese Prize; honorary doctorate of the University of Burgos; Bancarella Literary Prize; honorary doctor of the University of Łódź; The Name of the Rose; Misreadings; Foucault's Pendulum; Apocalypse Postponed; How to Write a Thesis; On Ugliness

Legacy Highlights

Honors & Awards

Austrian State Prize for European Literature · Bancarella Literary Prize · Cesare Pavese Prize · Commandeur des Arts et des Lettres‎ · Gold Medal of the Italian Order of Merit for Culture and Art · honorary doctor of Loyola University Chicago · honorary doctor of Rutgers University · honorary doctor of Sofia University · honorary doctor of Tel Aviv University · Honorary doctor of the Free University of Berlin · honorary doctor of the Katholieke Universiteit Leuven · honorary doctor of the Marie and Louis Pasteur University · honorary doctor of the Sorbonne Nouvelle University · honorary doctor of the University of Athens · honorary doctor of the University of Belgrade · honorary doctor of the University of Kent · Honorary doctor of the University of Liège · honorary doctor of the University of Łódź · honorary doctor of the University of Madrid Complutense · honorary doctor of the University of Tartu · honorary doctor of the University of Uppsala · honorary doctorate · honorary doctorate from Brown University · honorary doctorate from University of Paris-II · honorary doctorate of Grenoble-III University · honorary doctorate of the University of Burgos · honorary doctorate of the University of Glasgow · Honorary Doctorate of University of Buenos Aires · Knight Commander's Cross of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany · Knight Grand Cross of the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic · Officer of the Legion of Honour · Pour le Mérite for Sciences and Arts order · Princess of Asturias Award for Communications and Humanities · Prix Médicis étranger · Strega Prize · The VIZE 97 Prize

Church

atheism

Employer

Collège de France · University of Bologna

Organizations & Memberships

Accademia Nazionale dei Lincei · American Academy of Arts and Letters · CICAP · College of 'Pataphysics · International Association for Semiotic Studies · Royal Academy of Science, Letters and Fine Arts of Belgium