Objectives
Italian is a field of study within the Department of Romance and Comparative Literature. While there is no formal concentration in Italian, students may petition the Committee on Academic Standing to create an independent concentration in Italian studies. The independent concentration combines courses in Italian literature, culture, fine arts, and history, and normally requires study abroad during the junior year.
How to Become a Program Member
The program in Italian studies is designed for all students who wish to extend their study of Italian language and literature and complement it with courses in history, fine arts, and music. It offers a coherent course of study, interdisciplinary in character, in which each participant is guided by an Italian studies advisor. Satisfactory completion of the program in Italian studies, while not a field of concentration, is noted on the official transcript.
Committee
Richard Lansing, Chair and Undergraduate Advising Head
(Romance and Comparative Literature)
William Kapelle
(History)
Alice Kelikian
(History)
Charles McClendon
(Fine Arts)
Jessie Ann Owens
(Music)
Benjamin Ravid
(Near Eastern and Judaic Studies)
Paola Servino
(Romance and Comparative Literature)
Requirements for the Program
The program in Italian studies consists of five semester courses:
A. ITAL 105a (Italian Conversation and Composition) or ITAL 106a (Advanced Readings in Italian).
B. ITAL 110a, ITAL 120b, or IECS 140a.
C. Any two of the following courses:
FA 45a St. Peter's and the Vatican
FA 51a Art of the Early Renaissance in Italy
FA 58b High and Late Renaissance in Italy
HIST 123a Late-Medieval and Renaissance Florence
HIST 138b Industrialization and Social Change: 1900 to the Present
HIST 139a Women, Work, and Family
HIST 139b Fascism East and West
HIST 176b Modern Italy 1848-1990
IECS 135a Shifting Grounds: Social Change in Italian Fiction and Film
NEJS 151b Merchants, Moneylenders, and Ghetti of Venice
D. Any elective course from the above listings in A, B, or C.
Other courses may be acceptable for requirement C and D, with the explicit permission of the program advisor.
Courses of Instruction
ITAL 10a Beginning Italian
Enrollment limited to 18 per section.
For students who have had no previous study of Italian. A systematic presentation of the basic grammar and vocabulary of the language within the context of Italian culture, with focus on all four language skills: listening, speaking, reading, and writing. Usually offered every year.
Staff
ITAL 20b Continuing Italian
Prerequisite: ITAL 10a or the equivalent. Enrollment limited to 18 per section.
For students with some previous study of Italian. Continuing presentation of the basic grammar and vocabulary of the language within the context of Italian culture, and practice of the four language skills. Special attention to reading and writing skills, as well as guided conversation. Usually offered every year.
Staff
ITAL 30a Intermediate Italian
[ fl ]
Prerequisite: ITAL 20b or the equivalent. Enrollment limited to 18 per section.
Readings in contemporary Italian short stories, newspaper, and journal articles and short essays of cultural interest will be supplemented by video presentations (opera, film, "filmati," and "telegiornale" from RAI) designed to enhance oral comprehension. Typical themes include social conflicts (Fascism, the problem of the "Mezzogiorno") and cultural phenomena (feminism, art, geography). Review of grammar, written exercises, and short compositions. Usually offered every fall.
Ms. Servino
ITAL 98a Independent Study
May be taken only with the written permission of the advising head and the chair of the department. Signatures of the instructor and the chair of the department required.
Reading and reports under faculty supervision. Usually offered every year.
Staff
ITAL 98b Independent Study
May be taken only with the written permission of the advising head and the chair of the department. Signatures of the instructor and the chair of the department required.
Reading and reports under faculty supervision. Usually offered every year.
Staff
ITAL 105a Italian Conversation and Composition
[ hum ]
Prerequisite: ITAL 30a or the equivalent.
Provides students with an opportunity to develop their oral and written proficiency in Italian, while familiarizing themselves with different facets of contemporary Italian culture and society. Readings will be supplemented by films and recordings. Usually offered in even years.
Ms. Servino
ITAL 106a Advanced Readings in Italian
[ hum ]
Prerequisite: ITAL 30a or the equivalent. Enrollment limited to 18.
Close study and analysis of representative works of Italian literature (prose, poetry, drama) and culture (art, history, music, cinema, politics) designed to enhance the student's reading skills. Three hours per week. Usually offered every year.
Mr. Lansing
ITAL 110a Introduction to Italian Literature
[ hum ]
Prerequisite: ITAL 30a or the equivalent.
Surveys the masterpieces of Italian literature from Dante to the present. It is designed to introduce the student to the major authors and literary periods, styles, and genres and present an overview of the history of the literature. Conducted in Italian. Usually offered in even years.
Mr. Lansing
ITAL 120b Modern Italian Literature
[ hum ]
Prerequisite: ITAL 30a or the equivalent.
Analysis of major works by Svevo, Pirandello, Moravia, Silone, Lampedusa, Pavese, Primo Levi, Montale, and Vittorini with respect to the political, economic, and social problems of post-Risorgimento Italy. Conducted in Italian. Usually offered in even years.
Mr. Lansing
IECS 135a Shifting Grounds: Social Change in Italian Fiction and Film
[ hum ]
Open to all students. Conducted in English with readings in English translation.
Charts various aspects of social change in Italian society and culture through close readings and discussions of literary and cinematic texts. Usually offered every third year. Last offered in the spring of 1999.
Mr. Mandrell
IECS 140a Dante's Divine Comedy
[ cl39 hum ]
Open to all students. Conducted in English with readings in English translation.
A close study of the entire poem--Inferno, Purgatorio, Paradiso--as a symbolic vision of reality reflecting the culture and thought--political, philosophical, theological--of the Middle Ages. Readings will include two minor works, the Vita Nuova and World Government. Usually offered in even years.
Mr. Lansing