Umberto Eco's most famous quotes
The top 3 according to 6 votes from people: A holy war is still a war. That is why perhaps there should be no holy wars. · A novel is a machine for generating interpretations. · The Templars always have something to do with it.. (Updated Nov 7, 2025.)
From the rose that remains only as a name to the legions of idiots on social media: Umberto Eco's most quoted lines, from his novels to his newspaper column.
Automatically translated (original in Italiano). See the original
Top 12
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1
A holy war is still a war. That is why perhaps there should be no holy wars.
The Name of the Rose (1980).
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2
A novel is a machine for generating interpretations.
The Name of the Rose (1980).
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3
The Templars always have something to do with it.
Foucault's Pendulum (1988).
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4
You can say the wrong things, as long as the reasons are right.
Foucault's Pendulum (1988).
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5
The rose of old remains only in its name; we hold only naked names.
The Name of the Rose (1980).
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6
True love wants the good of the beloved.
The Name of the Rose (1980).
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7
Never pretend: everyone will believe you.
Foucault's Pendulum (1988).
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8
That is the beauty of the Internet's anarchy: anyone has the right to display their own irrelevance.
La bustina di Minerva, his column in L'Espresso.
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9
Why was Napoleon born in Corsica? Because.
La bustina di Minerva, his column in L'Espresso.
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10
Avoid alliteration, even if it appeals to the asinine.
La bustina di Minerva, his column in L'Espresso.
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11
Social media give the right to speak to legions of idiots who used to speak only at the bar after two or three glasses of red.
Meeting with journalists at the University of Turin, 10 June 2015.
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12
Nothing gives a fearful man more courage than another's fear.
The Name of the Rose (1980).
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