Focus on the Renaissance courts of Italy

(1 Credit Hour) · Undergraduate

This course is a 1-credit addition to the 3-credit All Roads Lead to Rome course and can be taken only in connection with All Roads. It is a focus on the cities of Florence, which was the crucible of the Renaissance at the court of the Medici family, and Naples, where the Renaissance flourished at the court of the Aragonese kings. Learning goals: Students will be exposed to a variety of intellectual inquiries and methodological approaches: They will learn to recognize the main theoretical approaches to the two fundamental categories of Humanism and Renaissance, and their reception in different historical and cultural contexts. They will be introduced to the historical context of early modern Italy and its main political, social, economic, and cultural features. They will refine the tools and methods of the formal and critical analysis of urban sites, as well as works of architecture, works of art (including painting, mosaics, sculpture), and literary texts. They will engage in a creative approach to the themes and works studied and discussed, through two group assignments aimed at experimenting and becoming more intimately familiar with various literary genres and forms and reflecting from within on the creative process and the technical aspects of different genres and styles. They will be introduced to access, navigate and utilize the resources of archives and research libraries in the fields of history, the fine arts and literature, through a visit to a historical archive/ research library, and to reflect on the nature and methods of research. Requirements: Attendance and participation: 25% Given the immersive, intensive and on-site nature of this course, perfect attendance is required and no unexcused absences will be accepted. The course consists of two field trips (Friday-Sunday) to, respectively, Florence and Naples. Classes will be on-site and divided between lecture and seminar discussion: proactive contribution to class discussions is required. Reading exercises (both written and oral): 25% Students will engage in exercises of analysis and interpretation of buildings, works of art and literary texts, both in writing and through two group presentations. Creative assignment 25% Students engage in a creative group assignment aimed at exploring from within both the creative process and the formal features and rhetorical tools and techniques involved with the production of a specific literary genre among those that we will be studying and discussing (sonnet, canzone, ottava rima, novella, treatises on art/ language, epistolography, historiography). Final exam: 25% The final exam is take-home and it consists of three mini essays: the first on different theories on the main categories and ideas explored during the course and their definitions; the second on the historical context of early modern Italy; the third will be the formal and critical analysis of a site/work of art/literary text.