This is the equivalent of ML 295 Topics course. Courses in specific topics, such as culture, literary movements or genres, linguistics or film. Taught in English. May be repeated for credit with a different topic. May count towards Italian Cultural Studies minor or major, and World Literature minor.
| Distribution Area | Prerequisites | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Arts and Humanities- or -Global Learning | 1 course |
This course will be a Grand Tour of the history, art, architecture, and culture of Italy. It will be loosely modeled on the Grand Tour of Italy undertaken by British aristocrats in the 18th and 19th centuries. Three centuries ago, young British gentry traveled to Italy in search of the foundations of Western Civilization, taking in the history, art, and culture of the Bel Paese. We will follow the typical route by studying the history and art of not only Rome, Florence, and Venice but also that of many other cities and places visited by Grand Tourists, including Turin, Milan, Padua, Siena, San Gimignano, Naples, Pompeii, and Sicily. We will explore the history, art, and architecture of Italy, with particular emphasis on the Roman, Renaissance, and Baroque periods, which was also the focus of the Grand Tourists. Students will learn about the historic Grand Tour as well as the history, art, and architecture of Italy's most treasured and influential cities, just as their British forebears did before the advent of mass tourism and travel. Assigned readings will include writings by Vasari, Byron, Shelley, Browning, Forster, and Twain, among others. This course is taught in English.