HISTORY OF ITALIAN CULTURE AND LITERATURE-FROM THE BEGINNING TO THE RENAISSANCE
- Academic year
- 2025/2026 Syllabus of previous years
- Official course title
- STORIA DELLA LETTERATURA E CULTURA ITALIANA-DALLE ORIGINI AL RINASCIMENTO
- Course code
- SIE031 (AF:603747 AR:340956)
- Teaching language
- English
- Modality
- On campus classes
- ECTS credits
- 6
- Degree level
- Corso di Perfezionamento
- Academic Discipline
- L-FIL-LET/10
- Period
- 1st Semester
- Course year
- 1
- Where
- VENEZIA
- Moodle
- Go to Moodle page
Contribution of the course to the overall degree programme goals
N.B. This class is organised by the Ca' Foscari School for International Education (SIE). Students cannot attend classes or take exams if they are not officially enrolled in the course. For further information on the SIE English-taught courses for exchange students, please visit this webpage: https://www.unive.it/pag/35228/
Expected learning outcomes
Good knowledge of the dynamics of Italian literature from its origins to the Renaissance, with special attention to philological and historical-linguistic junctures
Pre-requirements
Written and oral knowledge of the Italian language
Contents
IE 031
History of Italian Culture and Literature – From the Beginning to the Renaissance
- CORE 1
Italian Language, Italian Literature a history of continuity and renovation. This topic will explore the origins of Italian language and its relation to Italian literature. It will consider their development in relation to the transformation of Latin and the growth of the Neolatin languages. They will also be considered in relation to
- CORE 2
Italian language and literature will be considered in relation to the Literary genres of the Middle Ages and their various applications and their continuity from antiquity onwards. A full outline of the following genres will be delivered: 1) Poetry: epic, lyric, didactic, religious; 2) Prose: novels, treatises, travel literature.
- CORE 3
Before Dante. Love poetry throughout Italy, from Sicily to Tuscany. The imagery of love: from the body to the soul. The Stilnovo school.
- CORE 4
Dante and his fortune. The works of the most important poet of Italian literature will be outlined and described in detail. A major focus will be dedicated to the Commedia.
- CORE 5
During and after Dante. This part of the course will touch upon the most relevant authors who flourished during Dante’s period and after his death. Among the others, a special focus will be devoted to Marco Polo, Petrarca and Boccaccio.
History of Italian Culture and Literature – From the Beginning to the Renaissance
- CORE 1
Italian Language, Italian Literature a history of continuity and renovation. This topic will explore the origins of Italian language and its relation to Italian literature. It will consider their development in relation to the transformation of Latin and the growth of the Neolatin languages. They will also be considered in relation to
- CORE 2
Italian language and literature will be considered in relation to the Literary genres of the Middle Ages and their various applications and their continuity from antiquity onwards. A full outline of the following genres will be delivered: 1) Poetry: epic, lyric, didactic, religious; 2) Prose: novels, treatises, travel literature.
- CORE 3
Before Dante. Love poetry throughout Italy, from Sicily to Tuscany. The imagery of love: from the body to the soul. The Stilnovo school.
- CORE 4
Dante and his fortune. The works of the most important poet of Italian literature will be outlined and described in detail. A major focus will be dedicated to the Commedia.
- CORE 5
During and after Dante. This part of the course will touch upon the most relevant authors who flourished during Dante’s period and after his death. Among the others, a special focus will be devoted to Marco Polo, Petrarca and Boccaccio.
Referral texts
The Cambridge History of Italian Literature, Cambridge University Press, [1997] 2008
Assessment methods
The assessment of acquired knowledge will take place through an oral interview, during which pre-selected texts by Dante will be read.
Type of exam
oral
Grading scale
Grading will be on a maximum scale of 30/30.
Teaching methods
Frontal lecture; textual analysis
Definitive programme.
Last update of the programme: 05/12/2025