30931 - Italian Literature 1 (GR. A)

Learning outcomes

At the end of the course the student has a good understanding of the Italian literary tradition, knows the fundamental issues of the critical discussion about the authors and texts and is able to use the main methods of analysis of texts and contexts; he has also acquired the ability of adequately expressing himself in writing.

Course contents

Magic and witchcraft in literature

Magical knowledge and practices have always belonged to the history of human beings, in every place and in all social strata. Even Western literature, from its Greek and Latin origins, has often had this knowledge inherent in it, often bordering on philosophy and religion. The analyzes of the course will examine fundamental texts of antiquity and some fundamental treatises on magic and demonology. And particular attention will be paid to the 15th, 16th and 17th centuries for their important historical, social and religious vicissitudes. We will also focus on some songs from Dante's Commedia, and then continue with some texts of Italian literature such as Boccaccio's Decameron, Ariosto's Orlando furioso, Tasso's Gerusalemme liberata and Marino's Adone. Students will also be asked to read 10 cantos of their choice from Dante's Comedy: e.g. Inf. I, II, V, X, XXVI, XXXIII; Purg. I, III, XXVI; Par. I. It is recommended to appear for the exam with the list of prepared songs. Some lessons will be dedicated to the reading of Dante's cantos, to provide, in addition to the basic notions of metrics and rhetoric, models of textual analysis. For those who cannot attend the lessons it is therefore advisable to contact the teacher to arrange an appointment and obtain instructions for preparing for the exam.

Readings/Bibliography

1):

• Dante Alighieri, Inferno (IX, 16-30 e XX, 19-60, 82-92, 103-123), a cura di S. Bellomo, Einaudi, 2013.
  
• Giovanni Boccaccio, Decameron VIII 9, a cura di V. Branca, o di M. Veglia, Feltrinelli, 2020.
• Ludovico Ariosto, Orlando furioso, a cura di L. Caretti, o di E. Bigi e C. Zampese.
  
• Torquato Tasso, Gerusalemme liberata, a cura di F. Tomasi, BUR, 2009, o di C. Gigante e T. Artico, Mondadori, 2022.
• Giambattista Marino, Adone, a cura di G. Pozzi, o di E. Russo, BUR, 2018.

• Marsilio Ficino, Come ricevere vita dal cielo, Agorà & Co., 2024.
• Giovanni Pico Della Mirandola, La dignità dell'uomo, Einaudi, 2021.
  
  

2):

• Fritz Graf, La magia nel mondo antico.
• Jean-Claude Schmitt, Medioevo "superstizioso".
• Richard Kieckhefer, La magia nel Medioevo.
• Vincenzo Tedesco, Inquisizione, eresia e magia nel tardo Medioevo.
  
• Daniel P. Walker, Magia spirituale e magia demoniaca da Ficino a Campanella.
• Ioan Petru Culianu, Eros e magia nel Rinascimento.
• Paola Zambelli, Magia bianca, magia nera nel Rinascimento.

Further bibliography will be indicated during the course.

Teaching methods

Lectures and analyses of literary texts.

Assessment methods

The assessment of the student's acquired knowledge and skills consists of an oral test designed to verify general preparation on all course topics.

During the year 6 oral tests are delivered.

The oral test consists in an oral interview which has the aim of evaluating the critical and methodological ability of the students. The students will be invited to discuss the tests on the course programme. The student must demonstrate an appropriate knowledge of the bibliography in the course programme. Access to the oral test depends on having passed the written test. The final mark is not a mathematical average of the two tests.

Those students who are able to demonstrate a wide and systematic understanding of the issues covered during the lessons, are able to use these critically and who master the field-specific language of the discipline will be given a mark of excellence.

Those students who demonstrate a mnemonic knowledge of the subject with a more superficial analytical ability and ability to synthesize, a correct command of the language but not always appropriate, will be given a ‘fair' mark.

A superficial knowledge and understanding of the material, a scarce analytical and expressive ability that is not always appropriate will be rewarded with a pass mark or just above a pass mark.

Students who demonstrate gaps in their knowledge of the subject matter, inappropriate language use, lack of familiarity with the literature in the programme bibliography will not be given a pass mark.

Teaching tools

Some texts will be made available on the Internet (http://virtuale.unibo.it [http://campus.unibo.it/] )

Office hours

See the website of Fabio Giunta