What: Screening of the movie “Le vie dell’acqua” within the framework of the Science4All events
Where: University of Padua, Palazzo del Bo, Via VIII febbraio 2, Aula E (ground floor)
When: 27 and 28 September 2025 at 4:00 pm
The event will be attended on the 27th by the scientific lead of the project, professor Stefania Gialdroni, director Fabio Masi, producers Benedetto Orestini and Corrado Tatangelo from Growing Production, and actress Barbara Giovannelli. On the 28th, Stefania Gialdroni, Benedetto Orestini and Barbara Giovannelli will be present.
For all information and to register click HERE.
ABOUT SCIENCE4ALL
The University of Padua presents Science4All, a science communication project aimed at the general public and schools, designed to make science accessible, engaging, and fun for everyone.
The project merges two previous events — Venetonight, the Researchers’ Night, and Kids University Padova — and takes place between September and November. What makes Science4All unique is its goal of bringing researchers from the University into direct contact with the public, based on the idea that science is a universal language — and can be fun when told the right way.
The core of Science4All will be on Saturday, September 27 and Sunday, September 28, 2025, from 10:30 AM to 6:30 PM, with a wide range of activities across the historic center of Padua: from the Botanical Garden to Palazzo del Bo, along the Liston, and continuing through Piazzetta Garzeria, Piazza Cavour, and Via San Fermo, all the way to the Museum of Nature and Humankind.
Also taking part are the University’s museums and libraries spread across the city, various university centers, and numerous scientific partners.
After the program dedicated to the general public, Science4All continues with a series of activities for schools, running from November 10 to 21, 2025.
This is a unique opportunity to learn while having fun, thanks to interactive activities such as scientific demonstrations, experiments, games, quizzes, workshops, and guided tours — all designed to be accessible and enjoyable for everyone.
ABOUT THE MOVIE
The film Le vie dell’acqua was produced as part of the European ERC project Migrating Commercial Law and Language. Rethinking Lex Mercatoria (11th–17th centuries) — MICOLL, directed by Professor Stefania Gialdroni from the Department of Private Law and Legal Critique at the University of Padua. This is a genuine research output, non-profit in nature, designed to communicate the results of this distinctly interdisciplinary project to a broad and diverse audience. The project brings together fields such as legal history, economic history, and historical linguistics.
It was with the aim of combining the power of visual storytelling with the depth of scientific inquiry—blurring the traditional lines between fiction and documentary—that Le vie dell’acqua was created. The film was written and directed by Fabio Masi, a long-time contributor to the RAI 3 program Blob, and produced by Growing Production.
The film unfolds as a journey through history, undertaken by three high school students from Liceo Tito Livio in Padua. Their goal is to deepen their understanding of the characters they will portray in a play inspired by I mercatanti by Carlo Goldoni, reimagined in the context of the most significant period for Venice’s role in international trade: the crucial decades between the late 15th and early 16th centuries. The themes explored—such as the role of merchants as cultural mediators, the issue of language barriers, the importance of trust in economic relationships, and the evolution of legal instruments—are interwoven with the personal dynamics of the young protagonists. These interactions highlight the values and vulnerabilities of today’s youth: friendship, family relationships, and the discovery of love.
The two cities at the heart of the story are not mere backdrops. Padua is where the young protagonists are educated, but it also plays a starring role with its squares, canals, and prestigious university. Venice, on the other hand, is portrayed not only as the historical crossroads of trade between Europe and the Levant but also, both then and now, as a melting pot of languages and cultures. The element that symbolically connects the two cities is the water referenced in the film’s title—understood not only as a physical infrastructure for transport and trade, but also as a metaphor for mobility, connection, and cultural transmission.
Entirely funded by the European Union (ERC CoG, GA 101002084), the film was selected for its international premiere at the 82nd Venice International Film Festival, within the Venice Production Bridge section.
