Death In Trieste

Murder! In hotel room ten, with a rope and a knife. By a fellow guest. If this were Cluedo, we'd have given the game away. But it's true crime, turned cultural history. And travelogue: Seán Williams follows in the footsteps of the most famous art historian of all time. The German Johann Winckelmann – killed in Italy, in June 1768.

In a series that takes us to Trieste, Venice, and Rome, Seán uncovers skeletons in the closet. One crime becomes a way of conceiving a certain sort of life, death, art. Winckelmann's end has written the script for a classic gay tragedy that has been adapted over the centuries. It's a dramatic story told by Goethe, Oscar Wilde, and Thomas Mann, to name but a few.

But what are the facts of this fiction? Ranging from supposedly tolerant and intellectual Enlightenment Europe to the nonchalant nineties, and to Italy today – where the government are ramping up anti-LGBT rhetoric – Seán asks what it means that a historic murder has become cultural myth. To us. To him. Because it was also Winckelmann the historian who taught us a haunting truth. We always read art of the past personally, in the present.

The programme was made with the help of the Venice Centre for Digital and Public Humanities, Università Ca' Foscari; Marzia Vidulli, Museo Winckelmann, Trieste; Grand Hotel Duchi D'Aosta, Trieste; Villa Albani-Torlonia, Rome; the University of Sheffield and Marcello Cattaneo.

In Part One, we learn about the incognito couple involved in the murder.

Se\u00e1n Williams on the Italian real crime drama that became a myth of art, sex and death.

Essays from leading writers on arts, history, philosophy, science, religion and beyond.

Seán Williams unpacks the mysteries and realities of a murder in Trieste in the 1760s that still informs ideas and mythologies about aesthetics, a certain sort of sex and death.

[LISTEN NOW]

In a series that takes us to Trieste, Venice, and Rome, Seကn uncovers skeletons in the closet. One crime becomes a way of conceiving a certain sort of life, death, art. Winckelmann's end has written the script for a classic gay tragedy that has been adapted over the centuries. It's a dramatic story told by Goethe, Oscar Wilde, and Thomas Mann, to name but a few.

But what are the facts of this fiction? Ranging from supposedly tolerant and intellectual Enlightenment Europe to the nonchalant nineties, and to Italy today - where the government are ramping up anti-LGBT rhetoric - Seကn asks what it means that a historic murder has become cultural myth. To us. To him. Because it was also Winckelmann the historian who taught us a haunting truth. We always read art of the past personally, in the present.

The programme was made with the help of the Venice Centre for Digital and Public Humanities, Universit

Murder! In hotel room ten, with a rope and a knife. By a fellow guest. If this were Cluedo, we'd have given the game away. But it's true crime, turned cultural history. And travelogue: Seán Williams follows in the footsteps of the most famous art historian of all time. The German Johann Winckelmann – killed in Italy, in June 1768.

In a series that takes us to Trieste, Venice, and Rome, Seán uncovers skeletons in the closet. One crime becomes a way of conceiving a certain sort of life, death, art. Winckelmann's end has written the script for a classic gay tragedy that has been adapted over the centuries. It's a dramatic story told by Goethe, Oscar Wilde, and Thomas Mann, to name but a few.

But what are the facts of this fiction? Ranging from supposedly tolerant and intellectual Enlightenment Europe to the nonchalant nineties, and to Italy today – where the government are ramping up anti-LGBT rhetoric – Seán asks what it means that a historic murder has become cultural myth. To us. To him. Because it was also Winckelmann the historian who taught us a haunting truth. We always read art of the past personally, in the present.

Part 2: Sean explores the detail and the speed of the trial reported across Europe.

Se\u00e1n Williams on the Italian real crime drama that became a myth of art, sex and death.

Essays from leading writers on arts, history, philosophy, science, religion and beyond.

Seán Williams unpacks the mysteries and realities of a murder in Trieste in the 1760s which still informs ideas and mythologies about aesthetics, a certain sort of sex and death.

[LISTEN NOW]

In a series that takes us to Trieste, Venice, and Rome, Seကn uncovers skeletons in the closet. One crime becomes a way of conceiving a certain sort of life, death, art. Winckelmann's end has written the script for a classic gay tragedy that has been adapted over the centuries. It's a dramatic story told by Goethe, Oscar Wilde, and Thomas Mann, to name but a few.

But what are the facts of this fiction? Ranging from supposedly tolerant and intellectual Enlightenment Europe to the nonchalant nineties, and to Italy today - where the government are ramping up anti-LGBT rhetoric - Seကn asks what it means that a historic murder has become cultural myth. To us. To him. Because it was also Winckelmann the historian who taught us a haunting truth. We always read art of the past personally, in the present.

Part 2: Sean explores the detail and the speed of the trial reported across Europe.

Se\u00e1n Williams on the Italian real crime drama that became a myth of art, sex and death.

Murder! In hotel room ten, with a rope and a knife. By a fellow guest. If this were Cluedo, we'd have given the game away. But it's true crime, turned cultural history. And travelogue: Seán Williams follows in the footsteps of the most famous art historian of all time. The German Johann Winckelmann – killed in Italy, in June 1768.

In a series that takes us to Trieste, Venice, and Rome, Seán uncovers skeletons in the closet. One crime becomes a way of conceiving a certain sort of life, death, art. Winckelmann's end has written the script for a classic gay tragedy that has been adapted over the centuries. It's a dramatic story told by Goethe, Oscar Wilde, and Thomas Mann, to name but a few.

But what are the facts of this fiction? Ranging from supposedly tolerant and intellectual Enlightenment Europe to the nonchalant nineties, and to Italy today – where the government are ramping up anti-LGBT rhetoric – Seán asks what it means that a historic murder has become cultural myth. To us. To him. Because it was also Winckelmann the historian who taught us a haunting truth. We always read art of the past personally, in the present.

Part Three: the life of Johann Winckelmann and the Roman freedom's that inspired his greatest work.

Se\u00e1n Williams on the Italian real crime drama that became a myth of art, sex and death.

Essays from leading writers on arts, history, philosophy, science, religion and beyond.

Seán Williams unpacks the mysteries and realities of a murder in Trieste in the 1760s which still informs ideas and mythologies about aesthetics, a certain sort of sex and death.

[LISTEN NOW]

In a series that takes us to Trieste, Venice, and Rome, Seကn uncovers skeletons in the closet. One crime becomes a way of conceiving a certain sort of life, death, art. Winckelmann's end has written the script for a classic gay tragedy that has been adapted over the centuries. It's a dramatic story told by Goethe, Oscar Wilde, and Thomas Mann, to name but a few.

But what are the facts of this fiction? Ranging from supposedly tolerant and intellectual Enlightenment Europe to the nonchalant nineties, and to Italy today - where the government are ramping up anti-LGBT rhetoric - Seကn asks what it means that a historic murder has become cultural myth. To us. To him. Because it was also Winckelmann the historian who taught us a haunting truth. We always read art of the past personally, in the present.

Part Three: the life of Johann Wincklemann and the Roman freedom's that inspired his greatest work.

Se\u00e1n Williams on the Italian real crime drama that became a myth of art, sex and death.

Murder! In hotel room ten, with a rope and a knife. By a fellow guest. If this were Cluedo, we'd have given the game away. But it's true crime, turned cultural history. And travelogue: Seကn Williams follows in the footsteps of the most famous art historian of all time. The German Johann Winckelmann - killed in Italy, in June 1768.

In a series that takes us to Trieste, Venice, and Rome, Seကn uncovers skeletons in the closet. One crime becomes a way of conceiving a certain sort of life, death, art. Winckelmann's end has written the script for a classic gay tragedy that has been adapted over the centuries. It's a dramatic story told by Goethe, Oscar Wilde, and Thomas Mann, to name but a few.

But what are the facts of this fiction? Ranging from supposedly tolerant and intellectual Enlightenment Europe to the nonchalant nineties, and to Italy today - where the government are ramping up anti-LGBT rhetoric - Seကn asks what it means that a historic murder has become cultural myth. To us. To him. Because it was also Winckelmann the historian who taught us a haunting truth. We always read art of the past personally, in the present.

Part Four: Venice and the echoes of Wincklemann's demise.

Se\u00e1n Williams on the Italian real crime drama that became a myth of art, sex and death.

Part Four: Venice and the echoes of Winckelmann's demise.

Essays from leading writers on arts, history, philosophy, science, religion and beyond.

Seán Williams unpacks the mysteries and realities of a murder in Trieste in the 1760s which still informs ideas and mythologies about aesthetics, a certain sort of sex and death.

[LISTEN NOW]

Murder! In hotel room ten, with a rope and a knife. By a fellow guest. If this were Cluedo, we'd have given the game away. But it's true crime, turned cultural history. And travelogue: Seán Williams follows in the footsteps of the most famous art historian of all time. The German Johann Winckelmann – killed in Italy, in June 1768.

In a series that takes us to Trieste, Venice, and Rome, Seán uncovers skeletons in the closet. One crime becomes a way of conceiving a certain sort of life, death, art. Winckelmann's end has written the script for a classic gay tragedy that has been adapted over the centuries. It's a dramatic story told by Goethe, Oscar Wilde, and Thomas Mann, to name but a few.

But what are the facts of this fiction? Ranging from supposedly tolerant and intellectual Enlightenment Europe to the nonchalant nineties, and to Italy today – where the government are ramping up anti-LGBT rhetoric – Seán asks what it means that a historic murder has become cultural myth. To us. To him. Because it was also Winckelmann the historian who taught us a haunting truth. We always read art of the past personally, in the present.

Part Five: Seán reflects on the myriad conclusions about Winckelmann, his art, his sexuality, his legacy, and offers his own conclusions.

Se\u00e1n Williams on the Italian real crime drama that became a myth of art, sex and death.

Essays from leading writers on arts, history, philosophy, science, religion and beyond.

Seán Williams unpacks the mysteries and realities of a murder in Trieste in the 1760s which still informs ideas and mythologies about aesthetics, a certain sort of sex and death.

[LISTEN NOW]

In a series that takes us to Trieste, Venice, and Rome, Seကn uncovers skeletons in the closet. One crime becomes a way of conceiving a certain sort of life, death, art. Winckelmann's end has written the script for a classic gay tragedy that has been adapted over the centuries. It's a dramatic story told by Goethe, Oscar Wilde, and Thomas Mann, to name but a few.

But what are the facts of this fiction? Ranging from supposedly tolerant and intellectual Enlightenment Europe to the nonchalant nineties, and to Italy today - where the government are ramping up anti-LGBT rhetoric - Seကn asks what it means that a historic murder has become cultural myth. To us. To him. Because it was also Winckelmann the historian who taught us a haunting truth. We always read art of the past personally, in the present.

Part Five: Seကn reflects on the myriad conclusions about Wincklemann, his art, his sexuality, his legacy, and offers his own conclusions.

Se\u00e1n Williams on the Italian real crime drama that became a myth of art, sex and death.