Church/State:Italian Laicita

3 Credits · Level: Undergraduate

Legally, Italians have religious freedom. Article 3 of the Constitution of the Italian Republic states that “All citizens have equal social dignity and are equal before the law, without distinction of sex, race, language, religion, political opinion, personal and social conditions.” Article 19 goes into religion more deeply – “Anyone is entitled to freely profess their religious belief in any form, individually or with others, and to promote them and celebrate rites in public or in private, provided they are not offensive to public morality.”1 However, culturally and politically, Catholicism is pervasive. In Florence, the birthplace of the Italian Renaissance, the art and architecture are infused with Catholic imagery. The Virgin Mary, as protector of Florence, appears almost as frequently as leather stores and gelato shops. The Pope appears in the news consistently. For fiercely debated issues tied to “public morality” the influence of Catholic values and norms is apparent. What does all this mean? Is Italy a Catholic nation? Do Italians really have religious freedom? What is the relationship between Church & State, or religion and the government? What does this look like for atheists or Jews or Muslims or others living in Italy? Where can one see and experience religion in public life when they live in Florence? This course is designed to give students context, methods, and platforms for exploring these questions. The multi-phased semester project is aimed at getting students out onto the streets of Florence with their cameras, notebooks, and questions. For the first part of the assignment, they will be encouraged to go – go explore streets, shops, gardens, museums, schools, cemeteries, and celebrations for clues as to the role of religion in public life; take photographs, talk to people, and read the news to discover ways that religion manifests not only in physical landscapes, but also in ideological and political debates about immigration, abortion, marriage, healthcare, and war. For the second part of the assignment, in consultation with the professor, students will narrow to one very specific arena for deeper inquiry and field-work. Ultimately, in the third part, they will share their discoveries with their classmates in written and visual formats. The collection of student projects will create a lively classroom space for debating the role of religion in Florentine public life. The course readings throughout the semester will complement the field-work students embark upon, focusing on the historical evolution of the relationship between the Catholic Church and the Italian government from Reorgimento to present day. In order to clarify what makes the Italian church-state situation unique, we will continually return to the United States and France as points of contrast.