OVERVIEW

The course is part of the Basic Learning Activities for the Degree Course of History (literary and historical-artistic disciplines), and bestows 12 ECTS, corresponding to 72 hours of classroom teaching and 228 hours reserved for personal study. It introduces the student to the study of major authors, most significant works, main poetics and most relevant cultural movements of Italian Literature history, from its origins to the twentieth century.

AIMS AND CONTENT

LEARNING OUTCOMES

Having a good knowledge of Italian literature, its evolution, its relations with Italian (and European) history and culture;
Developing a method to read and critically analyze texts; learning to use the basic bibliographical tools and the most common on-line resources;
Being able to recognize the value of an Italian literary text by referring to the poetics of its author and to its historical, artistic and cultural context.

AIMS AND LEARNING OUTCOMES

The purpose of the course is to provide knowledge, skills and abilities related to the study of Italian literature. Specifically, at the end of the educational path the student should be able to:

- to demonstrate some acquaintance with main movements and authors of particular relevance of the Italian literary panorama from the origins to the 20th century

- to use the analytical knowledge acquired to paraphrase and analyze texts in verse and in prose, contextualizing them in their own historical period and literary genre, and illustrating the content, stylistic, metric and rhetorical elements.

- to recognize, in general terms, the possible uses of literary sources in historical research

- to critically discuss (in written and oral form) the learned contents clearly and with a fluent vocabulary.

PREREQUISITES

Basic knowledge (at high school level) of the history of Italian literature

TEACHING METHODS

Lectures (with computer and projector). It is strongly recommended to attend classes with the books the teacher will indicate for every lesson. Students participation will be encouraged through questions and interventions. The course also provides students with learning tools (such as slides used during classes, supplementary or support materials) available in AulaWeb.

SYLLABUS/CONTENT

Syllabus

The course consists of six modules: modules A and D are dedicated to the history of Italian literature from its origins to the twentieth century, and are largely entrusted to the student's personal study. The modules B, C, E and F, fully developed in class, focus instead on the specific analysis of authors, works and themes of particular interest.

The acquisition and understanding of the topics included in module A will be assessed by a written test; the oral exam will instead verify the knowledge of the topics covered by the other modules (for more details, see "Exam description" and "Assessment methods").

Syllabus for attending students (12 ECTS)

- Module A. Outlines of Italian literature history from its origins to the seventeenth century (the list of topics, authors and texts to be studied will be provided at the beginning of the course)

- Module B. Dante's meditation on politics in the Divina Commedia (selected readings: the list of the texts will be provided during the course)

- Module C. Machiavelli and Guicciardini between politics, historiography and literature: readings chosen from Il Principe, La Mandragola, Ricordi and Storia d’Italia (the list of the texts will be provided during the course)

- Module D. Outlines of Italian literature history from the 18th to the 20th century (the list of the texts will be provided during the course)

- Module E. The «Virgil of modern Italy»: Giuseppe Parini as a civil model between the end of the eighteenth century and the nineteenth century (the list of the texts will be provided during the course)

- Module F. Don Consalvo Uzeda from prince to minister after the unification of Italy: readings from I Viceré and L'Imperio by Federico De Roberto (the list of the texts will be provided during the course)

Syllabus for attending students (9 ECTS)

- Module A. Outlines of Italian literature history from its origins to the seventeenth century (the list of topics, authors and texts to be studied will be provided at the beginning of the course)

- Module B. Dante's meditation on politics in the Divina Commedia (selected readings: the list of the texts will be provided during the course)

- Module C. Machiavelli and Guicciardini between politics, historiography and literature: readings chosen from Il Principe, La Mandragola, Ricordi and Storia d’Italia (the list of the texts will be provided during the course)

- Module D. Outlines of Italian literature history from the 18th to the 20th century (the list of the texts will be provided during the course)

- Module E or Module F. The «Virgil of modern Italy»: Giuseppe Parini as a civil model between the end of the eighteenth century and the nineteenth century (the list of the texts will be provided during the course) OR: Don Consalvo Uzeda from prince to minister after the unification of Italy: readings from I Viceré and L'Imperio by Federico De Roberto (the list of the texts will be provided during the course)

Syllabus for attending students (6 ECTS)

- Module A. Outlines of Italian literature history from its origins to the seventeenth century (the list of topics, authors and texts to be studied will be provided at the beginning of the course)

- Module B. Dante's meditation on politics in the Divina Commedia (selected readings: the list of the texts will be provided during the course)

- Module C. Machiavelli and Guicciardini between politics, historiography and literature: readings chosen from Il Principe, La Mandragola, Ricordi and Storia d’Italia (the list of the texts will be provided during the course)

- Module D. Outlines of Italian literature history from the 18th to the 20th century (the list of the texts will be provided during the course)

Program for non-attending students

Non-attending students are also required to study the syllabus for modules A and D (see above). Module A will be verified with the written test; the oral exam will instead focus on module D and on the study of the following works and the following critical essays:

- Dante, Divina Commedia: Inferno VI, X, XIX, XXVII; Purgatorio III, V, VI, XVI; Paradiso VI, XVII

- Giorgio Inglese, Dante: Guida alla Divina Commedia, Roma, Carocci (chapters 1-5 only)

- Niccolò Machiavelli, Il Principe (dedica e capitoli I, VII, VIII, XV, XVIII, XXV, XXVI) e La Mandragola (unabridged)

- Riccardo Bruscagli, Machiavelli, Bologna, Il Mulino (chapters 1-2, 4-5 e 8-9 only)

 - Giacomo Leopardi, Canti (All’italia, Sopra il monumento di Dante che si preparava in Firenze, Alla luna, Alla sua donna, Le ricordanze); Operette morali (Cantico del Gallo Silvestre, Dialogo di Federico Ruysch e delle sue mummie, Dialogo di Plotino e di Porfirio)

- Marco Bazzocchi, Leopardi, Bologna, Il Mulino

- Elsa Morante, La storia (unabridged)                    

NB: non-attending students are asked to contact the teachers before starting to study for the exam.

RECOMMENDED READING/BIBLIOGRAPHY

- Modules A and D. For the study of Italian literature from the thirteenth to the twentieth century (limited to the authors and texts indicated at the beginning of the course) it is advisable to use a recent manual of Italian literature with an anthology section (e.g. Romano Luperini, Pietro Cataldi, Lidia Marchiani, Franco Marchese, Le parole le cose, Palermo, Palumbo, 2016 (voll. 1-2-3a-3b + Leopardi: il primo dei moderni); or Guido Baldi, Silvia Giusso, Mario Ranzetti, Giuseppe Zaccaria, Le occasioni della letteratura, Milano-Torino, Pearson Italia-Paravia, 2017 (voll. 1-2-3); or Claudio Giunta, Cuori intelligenti, Novara, De Agostini Scuola - Garzanti Scuola, 2016 (voll. 1-2-3a-3b + Giacomo Leopardi), or others.   

- Module B. Dante Alighieri, Divina Commedia, curated by Umberto Bosco and Giovanni Reggio, new ed., Milano, Le Monnier, 2016, 3 voll.; or the edition curated by Anna Maria Chiavacci Leonardi, Milano, Mondadori, 3 voll; or the edition curated by Giorgio Inglese, Roma, Carocci, 3 voll.

- Module C. Niccolò Machiavelli, Il Principe, new edition curated by Giorgio Inglese, Torino, Einaudi, 2014 (or the edition curated by Raffaele Ruggiero, Milano, Rizzoli, 2008); La Mandragola, introduction and notes by Gennaro Sasso, notes to the text and appendix by Giorgio Inglese, Milano, Rizzoli, 1997 (or the edition curated by Rinaldo Rinaldi, Milano, Rizzoli, 2010)

- Module E. Giuseppe Parini, Il giorno. Le odi, curated by Giuseppe Nicoletti, Milano, Rizzoli, 2011; Ugo Foscolo, Ultime lettere di Jacopo Ortis, curated by Guido Davico Bonino, Milano, Mondadori, 2016.

- Module F. Federico De Roberto, I Viceré, Torino, Einaudi, 2006 (or the Feltrinelli, Garzanti o Rizzoli edition); L’imperio, Milano, Rizzoli, 2009

NB: possible supplementary readings will be made available in AulaWeb.

Bibliografia per studenti non frequentanti

For the study of Italian literature from the thirteenth to the twentieth century (limited to the authors and texts indicated at the beginning of the course) it is advisable to use a recent manual of Italian literature with an anthology section (e.g. Romano Luperini, Pietro Cataldi, Lidia Marchiani, Franco Marchese, Le parole le cose, Palermo, Palumbo, 2016 (voll. 1-2-3a-3b + Leopardi: il primo dei moderni); or Guido Baldi, Silvia Giusso, Mario Ranzetti, Giuseppe Zaccaria, Le occasioni della letteratura, Milano-Torino, Pearson Italia-Paravia, 2017 (voll. 1-2-3); or Claudio Giunta, Cuori intelligenti, Novara, De Agostini Scuola - Garzanti Scuola, 2016 (voll. 1-2-3a-3b + Giacomo Leopardi), or others.   

- Dante Alighieri, Divina Commedia, curated by Umberto Bosco and Giovanni Reggio, new ed., Milano, Le Monnier, 2016, 3 voll.; or the edition curated by Anna Maria Chiavacci Leonardi, Milano, Mondadori, 3 voll; or the edition curated by Giorgio Inglese, Roma, Carocci, 3 voll.

- Niccolò Machiavelli, Il Principe, new edition curated by Giorgio Inglese, Torino, Einaudi, 2014 (or the edition curated by Raffaele Ruggiero, Milano, Rizzoli, 2008); La Mandragola, introduction and notes by Gennaro Sasso, notes to the text and appendix by Giorgio Inglese, Milano, Rizzoli, 1997 (or the edition curated by Rinaldo Rinaldi, Milano, Rizzoli, 2010)

- Riccardo Bruscagli, Machiavelli, Bologna, Il Mulino, 2008

- Giacomo Leopardi, Canti, curated by Franco Gavazzeni, Milano, Rizzoli, 1998; Operette morali, curated by Laura Melosi, Milano, Rizzoli, 2008 

- Marco Bazzocchi, Leopardi, Bologna, Il Mulino, 2008

- Elsa Morante, La storia, Torino, Einaudi, 2014

TEACHERS AND EXAM BOARD

Exam Board

MATTEO NAVONE (President)

GIORDANO RODDA (President)

QUINTO MARINI

LESSONS

LESSONS START

February 12, 2019

Class schedule

ITALIAN LITERATURE

EXAMS

EXAM DESCRIPTION

The exam consists of a written and an oral test..

The written test focuses on the program for the module A, the oral test on the programs for the  other modules (B, C, D, E, F).  

It is necessary to pass the written test in order to access the oral exam (the written exam is passed if the student gets a grade equal to 18 or more). It is not possible to take a written and an oral exae on the same date.

The final grade is given by comparing the results obtained in the two tests.

To take part in the written tests, the student must register within two days before the exam date on the Aulaweb page for the course. To take part in the oral tests, the student must register within two days before the exam date on the website https://servizionline.unige.it/studenti/esami/prenotazione.

Further information about the exams will be provided during the lessons.

ASSESSMENT METHODS

The written test (lasting three hours) includes some open-ended questions, and is aimed at verifying the ability to paraphrase and comment on a literary piece, the possession of some basic knowledge of Italian literary history, the ability to write in proper Italian.

The oral exam consists of an interview on the topics discussed during the lessons, in order to evaluate the skills to contextualize a literary text in the frame of the Italian cultural history; to illustrate its metric-stylistic features; to make connections and comparisons among Italian and foreign literatures; to expose the contents with an appropriate language and to discuss the topics learned during the lessons.

Exam schedule

FURTHER INFORMATION

Non-attending students, as well as attending ones, are requested to register for the course in AulaWeb.