About

My roots are in Tuscany. My father is from Siena. I studied in that city for my BA, obtaining a degree in Philosophy from the University of Siena.

However, I have a deeper relationship with my mom's town: Massa. This small town lays at the bottom of the Apuan Alps, the mountains whose core is of pure white marble. My passion for sculpture and the other plastic arts germinated while growing up in the very place where marble is extracted.

However, this passion became my main interest of research many years later. At the time, I was a Fulbright Fellow in the Department of Philosophy at Temple University, and I had to choose the topic of my doctoral dissertation. Under the supervision of Joseph Margolis, I wrote the first philosophical account of public art, with a focus on public sculpture.

My early interest, in effect, was music. Since when I was a small child, I had a fascination with the guitar, which I studied (and taught) for several years at different levels. This had an impact on my philosophical research. I developed a strong interest in philosophical issues about music. I wrote a dissertation on some of those issues, obtaning in 2011 a PhD in Text Sciences from the University of Siena. I'm still cultivating this interest, and publishing articles in this field.    

As most Italians, I have a strong passion also for soccer and food. (I know, I'm such a stereotype!) And as a philopher, I transform all my passions into philosophical interests. With my colleague Andrea Borghini, I have published few pieces on the philosophy of sports and, more recently, on the philosophy of food.

Among the many artists that inspire my research, I am particularly fond of sculptor Pino Castagna, and post-graffiti artists Francesco Barbieri, Blu, and Eron.