Italian professor Massimo Ciavolella and the late Italian author Umberto Eco were good acquaintances. Ciavolella invited Eco to lecture during the professor’s classes at UCLA. Eco made Ciavolella a character in his book “Il nome della rosa,” or “The Name of the Rose.” The novel details a series of murders that take place at a Benedictine monastery in 1327. Read more...

Photo: Italian and comparative literature professor Massimo Ciavolella inspired a character in Umberto Eco’s book. The 1986 movie adaptation of the book will be screened at UCLA. (Courtesy of Brett Landenberger)