30931 - Italian Literature 1 (O-Z)

Learning outcomes

Through an analysis of the structural and rhetorical attributes of literary works, as well as the recent theories in interpretation, the course will focus on Italian Literature history and genres, also investigating the ways in which Literature seems related to political power and ideological values. Attention will be payed to technical terms and tools, such as metrics, prosody, phylology, poetics.

Course contents

The course will be divided in two parts. The first section will present an historical analysis of Italian Literature from XIII to XVI centuries. It will emphasize the concepts of Middle Age, Humanism, Renaissance, Reformation, Counter-Reformation.
The second section will provide an accurate exploration of Dante Alighieri's Purgatorio, the second "cantica" of Divina Commedia.

Readings/Bibliography

I section. To achieve a proficient knowledge of the Italian Literature please read carefully the following books:1) L. SURDICH, Il Duecento e il Trecento, Bologna, Il Mulino, 2005

2) R. BRUSCAGLI, Il Quattrocento e il Cinquecento, Bologna, Il Mulino, 2005
3) L. CHINES - G. FORNI - G. LEDDA - E. MENETTI, Dalle origini al Cinquecento, in the series La letteratura italiana, directed by E. RAIMONDI, Milano, Bruno Mondadori, 2007.
4) V. RODA (ed.), Manuale di Italianistica, Bologna, Bononia University Press, 2005, pp. 23-206.
II sections. For the Divina Commedia by Dante Alighieri is recommended the annotated edition by E. PASQUINI - A. QUAGLIO, Milano, Garzanti, 1988 (and reprints), or by P. STOPPELLI, Bologna, Zanichelli, 2008. Students who will not attend seminars are required to read G. INGLESE, Dante: guida alla Divina Commedia, Roma, Carocci, 2005; and J. LE GOFF, La nascita del Purgatorio, Torino, Einaudi, 2006.
It is also requested a carefully reading of one book among the following:

1) G. PETROCCHI, Il Purgatorio di Dante, Milano, BUR, 1998
2) N. SAPEGNO, Purgatorio: guida allo studio, Firenze, La Nuova Italia, 2004
3) R. GIRALDI FRANCHI, Guida alla Divina Commedia: Purgatorio, Roma, Newton & Compton, 1998

4) G. DI GIOIA, La Divina Commedia: Purgatorio, Firenze, Le Monnier, 1996

All books will be available for references at the Department of Italian Studies library.

Teaching methods

The course will be a combination of short lectures and literary works commentary. Several information will be given about textbooks and bibliography. The course will be taught in Italian, and it will be related to different seminars about the main topics of Italian Literature. Students are requested to attend closely the classes.

Assessment methods

Students will be required to write an in-class paper on one of the topics related to the course. The papers will be graded on the basis of conceptual rigor, references to sources and literay works, fluency of writing style.
The final exam will be an oral presentation about the subjects discussed during the course: students are supposed to show the ability of explain and interpret literary texts.

Teaching tools

The following is a list of web sites that you might find useful to further explore subjects and topics related to the course of Italian Literature. You can look it up for online literary works, biographies, studies, projects, iconography, libraries catalogues, and more links. Please remind that the surfing of these web sites cannot be considered as a substitution of the recommended readings.
www.antelitteram.com
www.bibliotecaitaliana.it
www.biblio-net.com
www.classiciitaliani.it
www.elleu.org
www.forma-mentis.net
www.griseldaonline.it
www.intratex.com
www.letteraturaitaliana.net
www.liberliber.it
www.italianisticaonline.it
www.italica.rai.it
www.italicon.it
www.ousia.it
www.pelagus.org
www.portalescuola/letteraturaitaliana
www.repubblicaletteraria.it

Office hours

See the website of Francesco Sberlati