by InTrieste
On Sunday morning, the grand Teatro Verdi in Trieste will host the latest installment in a thought-provoking lecture series exploring the age-old conflict between men and women. The fifth event in the Lessons in History – The Battle of the Sexes series will take place on February 2 at 11:00 a.m., featuring historian Loris Zanatta, a professor of Latin American history at the University of Bologna. His subject: Eva Perón, the Wrath of God.
The lecture series, conceived by Laterza Publishers and supported by the Municipality of Trieste and the CRTrieste Foundation, seeks to unravel the complex dynamics between the sexes across different epochs. Over the course of six lectures, scholars are examining how gender struggles have shaped politics, economics, and culture from antiquity to modern times. Media partner Il Piccolo will provide coverage, and the lecture will be live-streamed on the newspaper’s website and the city’s official YouTube channel.
Few historical figures embody the contradictions of power, gender, and myth quite like Eva Perón. As Argentina’s first lady and an unwavering advocate for the working class, Evita—as she was affectionately known—was both idolized and vilified. Without Perón, there would have been no Evita, but as Zanatta argues, without Evita, Perón himself would have been a different leader.
“She was the messianic soul of his regime, an object of unconditional admiration for her relentless commitment to the rights of workers, the poor, and women,” Zanatta notes. Yet, he adds, Perón’s legacy is an intricate tapestry of truth and legend. The real Eva—Catholic and traditionalist—has often been overshadowed by the mythologized figure: a feminist icon, an unyielding force of nature. She was both revered and feared, a woman whose short life left an indelible mark on Argentina and beyond.
The Lessons in History series has drawn large audiences, reflecting a growing public interest in reexamining historical narratives through a contemporary lens. Admission to the event is free, though seating is available on a first-come, first-served basis. For those unable to attend in person, the lecture’s live stream offers a window into one of history’s most fascinating and polarizing figures.
As debates over gender and power continue to shape societies worldwide, the discussion surrounding Eva Perón serves as a timely and evocative exploration of how myth and reality intersect in the lives of history’s most enigmatic women.
