The Floralia was a festival in ancient Rome, a religious practice that honoured the goddess Flora in late April. The talk will explore the traditions, history and lore of this ancient festivity and attempt to answer whether the celebration of May Day in other European countries may have stemmed from this Roman feast of fertility.

Dr. Angela Puca

https://leedstrinity.academia.edu/AngelaPuca

Dr Angela Puca joined Leeds Trinity University in 2016 and is currently lecturing in the Department of Philosophy and Religious Studies.

Angela’s degrees are in Philosophy, with a particular focus on Eastern Philosophies.

During her Academic formation, she studied Latin, Ancient Greek, Sanskrit and Tibetan (Classical and Modern) to translate primary sources of interest from different philosophical and religious traditions.

During her Master's Degree, she expanded her knowledge in the field of Religious Studies, especially Buddhism and the Indian and Tibetan religions, at the University of Naples.

Afterwards, her research interest moved towards Paganism and Shamanism, their contemporary manifestations across the Italian territory.

The University of Leeds awarded her a PhD in Anthropology of Religion with a thesis on “Indigenous and Trans-cultural Shamanism in Italy”.

Supervisors: Suzanne Owen and Graham Roberts