Course description

This is an introductory course to Italian literature from Dante (1265-1321) to Machiavelli (1469-1527). We will read cantos from Dante’s Divine Comedy, short stories from Boccaccio’s Decameron, a selection of Petrarch’s poetry, and Machiavelli’s The Prince, considering these authors’ moral systems vis-à-vis religion and love. We will also read texts by the first Italian female writers, Catherine of Siena and Angela da Foligno, mystic writers whose voice constitutes the earliest instance of female subjectivity in the western tradition. Part of our discussions will concern the afterlife of these texts in contemporary culture.

Students will learn contemporary techniques for reading the texts and will develop their skills in literary and critical analysis, writing, and research.

The course is taught in English and can be followed without knowledge of Italian, though familiarity with the language will be helpful.

Instructor
Stefania Porcelli (to know more about me click here)
Email: sporcelli@ccny.cuny.edu

Class Meeting Times

Tuesdays & Thursdays (on Zoom) from 9:30 am – 10:45 am (EST).

Office Hours

Tuesdays & Thursdays: 10:45 am – 11:15 am (via Zoom) or by appointment.