Tales from the Afterlife: A New Series of Lectures
Born from a collaboration between the Egyptian Museum and SOCREM ASP, Tales from the Afterlife is a new annual series of lectures curated by Giovanni De Luna and Christian Greco.
Across eight events, the series will explore how different civilizations and historical periods have interpreted their relationship with the afterlife. The concept refers to what happens after death, yet it is created by the living, for the living.
The series also offers an opportunity for dialogue between the city’s cultural institutions. As Professor Giovanni De Luna points out:
“This project brings together different organizations. There is a sense of circularity and an absence of self-referentiality that fills me with joy. Building a cultural bridge between the various organizations in the city is something we should be grateful for.”
The speakers featured in the series include Massimo Osanna, Salvatore Settis, Christian Greco, Paolo Curtaz, Daniela Bevilacqua, Chandra Candiani, Giovanni De Luna and Ascanio Celestini.
The first event is scheduled for 13 November 2026 at 6:30 pm. Reservations for the first lecture will open in early November.
Organized with the support and cultural collaboration of the SOCREM Torino APS association. Supported by sponsors Deltora servizi s.r.l., Fondazione Fabretti, Federazione Italiana Cremazione and cooperativa Astra, with Confini Magazine as media partner.
The full programme
Tales from the Afterlife: A Lecture Series on Death at the Museo Egizio
Free admission with advance booking (Eventbrite)
Streaming on the Museo Egizio’s YouTube channel
The Afterlife in Ancient Egyptian Beliefs
Friday, 13 November 2026, 6:30 pm
Christian Greco, in conversation with Giovanni De Luna
Chaired by Evelina Christillin
An overview of how the ancient Egyptians conceived of the afterlife. In the world beyond death, everyone continued to perform the functions they had carried out in life, retaining their rank and status. This belief is also reflected in the splendour of funerary furnishings and grave goods, particularly evident in the tombs of the pharaohs.
The Afterlife in the Greco-Roman World
Friday, 11 December 2026, 6:30 pm
Massimo Osanna, in conversation with Christian Greco
Chaired by Pierluigi Passoni
In the classical world, the afterlife was conceived as a mirror of earthly life, almost its symmetrical counterpart and reflection. This explains the central role played by figures such as Minos, the judge of the dead, and Charon, the ferryman, as well as emblematic places and landscapes such as the banks of the River Styx.
The Afterlife in Monotheistic Religions
Friday, 15 January 2027, 6:30 pm
Paolo Curtaz, in conversation with Armando Buonaiuto
Chaired by Fabrizio Gombia
Why do the houris, female figures associated with heavenly bliss, appear in the paradise described by Islamic tradition, while no equivalent figures have a place in the Christian vision of paradise? And why is the afterlife imagined in such different ways across the three great monotheistic traditions? A comparison of Judaism, Islam and Christianity will explore the origins, similarities and differences between their respective visions of the afterlife, through some of the questions these representations have raised over the centuries.
The Afterlife in the Medieval Imagination
Friday, 12 February 2027, 6:30 pm
Salvatore Settis, in conversation with Egle Micheletto
Chaired by Giovanni De Luna
Dante’s vision of the afterlife is rooted in the cultural context of the Early Middle Ages, from which he draws to construct the geography and logic of his otherworldly realm. Among its most significant elements is the law of contrapasso, according to which the punishment of the damned echoes the sin committed in life, either through analogy or through contrast. A famous example is Count Ugolino, condemned to eternal punishment linked to hunger and cannibalism, themes that define his dramatic episode in the Inferno.
The Afterlife in Hinduism
Friday, 12 March 2027, 6:30 pm
Daniela Bevilacqua, in conversation with Javier Gonzalez
Chaired by Gianguido Passoni
A journey through the Hindu conception of the afterlife, exploring some of its key concepts: samsara, karma, moksha, naraka and the figure of the god Yama. At the heart of the discussion is a reflection on the cyclical nature of life and death, which distinguishes this conception from Western traditions based on a linear view of existence, as well as on individual responsibility for addressing one’s own transgressions.
The Afterlife in Buddhism
Friday, 9 April 2027, 6:30 pm
Chandra Candiani, in conversation with Armando Buonaiuto
Chaired by Cristina Vargas
In Buddhism, the principle of cyclicality lies at the heart of the conception of existence. The discussion therefore centres on fundamental concepts such as karma and nirvana, challenging the idea of a fixed and immutable soul and focusing instead on the continuity of a dynamic stream of consciousness that is constantly changing and evolving.
The Afterlife in Totalitarianism
Friday, 14 May 2027, 6:30 pm
Giovanni De Luna, in conversation with Marco Lupo
Chaired by Evelina Christillin
The promise of paradise on earth: politics triumphing over nature and religion, and homo faber as the creator and master of the world. This idea is found not only in totalitarian regimes but also in the great Western democracies, fuelling what can be described as the great utopia of the twentieth century.
The Afterlife in Fairy Tales
Friday, 11 June 2027, 6:30 pm
Ascanio Celestini, in conversation with Marco Aime
Chaired by Giovanni De Luna
A selection of fairy tales, from the oldest to the most contemporary, ranging from Cinderella and Little Red Riding Hood to Cecafumo, Cicoria and Parasacco. These stories differ widely, yet they share an undercurrent of sadness that runs through their narratives and tempers the joy of their happy endings.