Welcome
My Dearest Friends and Colleagues,
Please allow me to welcome you to the 45th edition of the Inner Ear Biology Workshop which I am proud to announce will be held in Ferrara from the 21st to the 24th September 2008.
I am very grateful and honored that Ferrara was proposed as the host for this meeting and I hope, with your collaboration and contributions, that the meeting will be a huge success.
Our field makes daily significant advances and the focus of this meeting is to open channels of dialogue to discuss present research in inner ear biology fields, covering all basic and clinical aspects and related sciences.
Ferrara, being the ‘City of Bicycles’ means that the bicycle is ‘de rigeur’ and what better means to discover this splendid Renaissance City and visit its famous architectural landmarks such as the Estense Castle, the Certosa Cemetery, the Cathedral, the historical town centre and the Jewish Ghetto. The city has managed to maintain its all important green spaces within the urban stretch such as the Jewish Cemetery (which immediately brings to mind the famous works of Giorgio Bassani).
The origins of Ferrara are Etruscan-Roman, and was governed by the Countess Matilde di Canossa, it was later surrendered to the Azzolino d’Este, who in 1146 married the last remaining descendent of the Adelardi family.
Ferrara remained under the rule of the Este Family until 1598 and then returned once more under the rule of the church.
Ferrara thrived under the Este Family rule, numerous palaces were constructed, the city walls were further fortified and its perimeters lengthened. Important literary protagonists such as Tasso and Ariosto wrote works for the Este Family, painters famous throughout Europe such as Cosmè Tura, Rogier van der Weyden and Francesco del Cossa decorated the many new palaces that the dukes regularly commissioned.
Today Ferrara is a lively city and home to an historical and important University which was founded in 1391 by Alberto D’Este. The University can count Nicolò Copernico, Giovanni Pico della Mirandola and Paracelso amongst its most successful graduates.
The city is also renowned for its contribution to the arts; with painters such as Boldini, De Pisis naming Ferrara as their birthplace and yielding the first Metaphysic paintings by De Chirico.
Ferrara has also played an important role in Cinema, producing noted artists such as Antonioni and Vancini. It can boast a musical vocation and hosts a yearly celebrated concert season.
I conclude hoping that this meeting will give us all a positive opportunity to discuss and contrast our relative experiences. I want to thank you in advance for your attendance and valuable time.
Alessandro Martini
Department of Audiology
University of Ferrara, Italy