History of Italian Literature

Teacher(s)

Nannicini Chiara;

Language

Italian

Learning outcomes

At the end of this learning unit, the student is able to :

The course proposes the discovery, analysis and study of the major literary movements that characterise Italy, but which are often reflected in the European context. Of these movements, five authors and works of ancient and modern Italian literature, belonging to different genres, will be studied in depth - including an epic poem, a novel, a collection of lyric poems, a collection of short stories, a play, a pamphlet, an autobiographical text. This will allow us to delve more deeply into these authors in a scientific and monographic manner and to focus on their specific literary production. The study of these authors will be carried out through courses given ex cathedra, as well as through the reading of a limited selection of poems and excerpts from the works indicated.

Content

This course outlines the history of Italian literature from the 13th century (Duecento) to the 19th century (Ottocento). In particular, the major literary movements will be discussed, such as: Dolce Stilnovo, Pre-umanesimo, Umanesimo, Riscoperta dei classici, Epopea rinascimentale, Barocco, Rivoluzione filosofica e scientifica, Riforma del teatro, Neoclassicismo, Romanticismo, Romanzo storico, Decadentismo, Verismo, Simbolismo.

The study and reading of a specific choice of different authors will be proposed, which may change every year. Among these authors, the following could be chosen, in particular: epic poets as Dante, Ariosto or Tasso, novelists such as Manzoni, Nievo, D'Annunzio, Pirandello, Verga, lyric pomes autors like Dante, Petrarch, Leopardi, Foscolo and Pascoli, theatre writers as Goldoni, Alfieri, Pirandello, short-story writers as Boccaccio, Verga, Nievo, Pirandello and D'Annunzio, essayists like Machiavelli, Guicciardini, Galileo, Beccaria, P. Verri, and finally autobiographical writers such as Alfieri and Pellico.

Teaching methods

The lessons, given ex cathedra by the professor, are presented through Power Point presentations. However, the active participation of students is required.
The aim will be to retrace the great movements in Italian literary history, as well as to study in depth fove authors, from whom some extracts of major works will be read.
These will be brought together in a “syllabus”, in the original text with a French translation (for texts from the 13th to the 16th centuries). All PPT slides will be available on the nteractive platform. The PPTs, designed in a synthetic way, will in no way replace assiduous participation in the course and discussions.

Evaluation methods

The course will be followed by a written exam in the June and/or August session, of 4 hours. The written exam will be divided into two parts: first, the content of general history of Italian literature and second, the texts and the notions concerning the authors studied during the academic year.
The use of artificial intelligence (AI) in written assignments or oral presentations will be penalised with a 0T (cheating) if it is in breach of scientific and academic integrity practices.

Other information

Mrs Nannicini receives students by appointment, to be fixed in advance by email: chiara.nannicini@uclouvain.be

Bibliography

Manuel
La lecture d'un manuel synthétique d'histoire de la littérature italienne est fortement conseillée. En particulier, on peut en recommander deux, disponibles à la bibliothèque de Saint-Louis, ainsi qu'à l'achat dans le service reprographie :
Carlo Vecce, Piccola storia della letteratura italiana, Napoli : Liguori, 2009.
Andrea Battistini, Letteratura italiana, Bologna: Il Mulino, 2014, vol. 1 et 2.

PPT
Les présentations Power Point, mises à disposition des étudiants sur la plateforme Moodle, constituent une partie incontournable du cours, à connaître en profondeur.

Syllabus
Pour le contenu du cours, l'étudiant/e devra connaître les extraits/poèmes réunis dans le syllabus, et tirés des œuvres suivantes :

• • Dante Alighieri, Inferno o Purgatorio (choix de quelques chants) ou "Vita nova"
• • Niccolò Machiavelli, De Principatibus
• • Carlo Goldoni, La locandiera
• • Ugo Foscolo, Les sonnets, le poème « Dei sepolcri » ou le roman "Le ultime lettere di Jacopo Ortis".
• • Silvio Pellico, Le mie prigioni (Mes prisons).
• • Giovanni Verga, Vita de’ campi (Nouvelles siciliennes).

Une bibliographie détaillée sera distribuée au début du quadrimestre.

Teaching materials

• - une synthèse d'Histoire de la littérature italienne (cfr. bibliographie)
• - le syllabus « Testi di letteratura italiana » de Chiara Nannicini, disponible au BSC, le Bureau des supports des cours.

Faculty or entity

> PHLB