Course Name: MCLS 39597 Reading Italy from the Renaissance to Today (Florence)

Course Description: This course invites you to read your way across the Italian peninsula through the perspectives of six authors from the Renaissance until today. With a text from each century, these authors will introduce you to some of the most fascinating issues, debates, and stories from the last centuries in Italy. From Arcangela Tarabotti’s criticism of forced enclosure in the convent in Paternal Tyranny to Camillo Boito’s outrageous portrayal of corruption in Italian society in Senso, with many stops in between, you will be entertained and intrigued by the ideas presented across the syllabus. The course is designed to enrich your time in Italy and help you navigate your experience with Italian culture. Special focus will be given to gender and class concerns, which run through each text under discussion. The course will consist of a reading for each class, which we will unpack in lively group discussions. Site visits to museums, gardens, and literary cafés will accompany our lessons and reflections and essays will give you the chance to share your ideas on our readings. Texts and discussions will be in English, and no prior knowledge of the subject matter is required.

Credit Hours: 3

Prerequisites: None