Modernist Italy: Decadence, Avant-garde, and the Crisis of the Self

(3 Credit Hours) · Undergraduate

The turn of the twentieth century was a period of electrifying transformation. Yet, modernity – promising progress and innovation – also revealed its darker facets: inequality, division, and existential crisis. How did Italy adapt to this rapidly evolving world? This course delves into the vibrant cultural responses of the era, from the introspective works of Nobel Prize-winning authors to the bold, revolutionary manifestos of the avant-garde. We will examine Decadent and Modernist literature alongside disruptive movements like Futurism, uncovering how Italian writers and artists confronted literary and artistic conventions. Through textual and visual analysis, we will explore how the contradictions exposed by Modernism redefined the Italian cultural tradition and continue to resonate in contemporary times. Taught in Italian.