An 'Evening With A Medieval Queen' at Temenos Institute on Nov. 5

A tale, part fable, part history, of a Sicilian queen in medieval times will be unfolded by composer John Marino at the Temenos Institute on Nov. 5, as he conducts a lecture on the story of "Costanza," the basis of an opera he created the music for.

The Temenos Institute will hold the lecture, which costs $15, at 8 p.m. At the lecture, Marino will present a Jungian perspective on the story, followed by video excerpts of a performance at Our Lady of Mount Carmel Church located in the "Little Italy" section of the Bronx, N.Y. The libretto was translated into Italian because most of the parishioners of this church speak Italian as their first language. A translation will be provided at the Temenos Institute.

Marino is a licensed Jungian analyst and runs a private practice in Manhattan and New Jersey. A graduate of the C.G. Jung Institute of N.Y., he currently serves on their faculty, along with the boards of the Jung Foundation and the National Association for the Advancement of Psychoanalysis. In addition to his Jungian work, Marino holds a master's degree in composition and Jazz studies from the Manhattan School of Music and is the music director at the United Methodist Church in Demarest, N.J.

The story is about Costanza, the heiress of the Norman kings of Sicily. Her father was Roger II who reigned over what is considered the "Golden Age" of Sicily. Palermo was considered the "jewel" of the Mediterranean. Sicily prospered and was a cultural center. People of various races and religions lived there in relative peace and harmony.King William, who inherited the throne from Roger, arranged a marriage for Costanza and the Holy Roman emperor, Henry VI, although she was already 30 years old. William was only interested in an alliance, but Henry saw this as an opportunity to unite, under his rule, the Kingdom of Sicily with the Holy Roman Empire. He would thus also contain the Papal States and the power of the Pope.

On William's death, his illegitimate son, Tancredi, usurped the throne of Sicily; then Henry had to take Sicily by force, moving quickly with his army. Tancredi died. Henry then entered Palermo, the capital, unopposed. Costanza followed Henry at a slower pace because she was pregnant and later gave birth to a son who became Frederico II, King of Sicily and Holy Roman Emperor. Costanza saw in her son, an opportunity to bring back the "Golden Age" of her father's reign. Frederico II (Frederick) is considered one of the most enlightened of the Holy Roman emperors. His father, however, is known as Henry "the cruel".

Temenos is a licensed, non-profit organization and a center for psychotherapy through which individual, family, marriage, pastoral counseling and psychotherapy are offered to the general public. Admission to the Lecture is $15. For more information, call 203-227-4388.