History

The Department of History examines a wide range of topics related to specific periods of time, notable figures, events, subpopulations, and civilization in ancient, medieval, Renaissance, modern, and recent eras.

3 semester credits. The first half of this course will focus on Italy in the immediate postwar period, investigating the quasi civil war between the fascists and partisans prior to the formation of the Italian Republic in 1948. The second half of this course will focus on the attempt at building a new national identity after the fall of Fascism; the Cold War and its impact on Italian politics, culture and society; the North-South divide; the economic miracle; the southern and Mafia issue; and the role of the European Union and Italy as a multicultural nation.

3 semester credits. This course focuses on mysteries and crimes committed in Florence, in the Middle Ages and the Renaissance. The course retraces significant historical episodes that shed light over the ways crime and punishment has been framed and dealt with through a series of academic walks in Florence. Topics include the fight between Guelphs and Ghibellines, the persecution of the ill during the Black Death, the Pazzi conspiracy against the Medici, magic rituals and with-hunting, the judicial system of the time, and the morbid stories about Michelangelo, Da Vinci, and Donatello. A multi-disciplinary model is adopted to cross-analyze criminological, judicial, and social phenomena.

3 semester credits. The course explores some of the key criminal behaviors and the history of criminology in relation to episodes that occurred in Florence from the 18th century until today. Topics include the abolishment of death penalty in the Grand Duchy of Tuscany, the history of asylums for the criminally insane and the theories of Cesare Lombroso on physical anomalies, the massacres conducted during Fascism, the perpetuation of political homicides by terrorist groups, the investigations of the murders of the first Italian serial killer, Mafia attacks, the practice of murder-suicide, and hate crimes. A multi-disciplinary model is adopted to cross-analyze criminological, judicial, and social phenomena, with a focus on the ways criminology has evolved.

3 semester credits. This course presents the specific structural and phenomenological aspects of the various types of mafia operating in Italy and internationally. Topics analyze contemporary criminal, social, cultural, and political features of mafia-related groups and explore traditional and emerging illegal markets. The course describes main Italian and international law policies and legislations to contrast this type of organized crime and the experiences of leading individuals and groups developing a culture of legality to combat the mafia.

3 semester credits. This course examines the city of Florence with themed walks offering a comprehensive approach to the city as an open-air cultural, historical, and artistic research site from its Roman foundation to its contemporary Zeitgeist. Students will learn the history of the city through its art: they will understand how buildings, streets, squares, and monuments can be mapped as living traces of multiple, overlapping layers of a complex past, and how to encode them in their personal appropriation of the city. Starting from learning how to decode the artistic environment of the city and to unveil its traces – both visible and invisible – the course aims at understanding the main social and cultural reasons underlying the existing shape of the city. The course explores traces and evidences from Roman times through Middle Ages, Renaissance, Mannerism and Baroque, up to Art Nouveau and contemporary Florence. Students will be provided with a consistent theoretical background related to relevant historic-artistic landmarks and their social and cultural context and main characters (Guelphs vs. Ghibellines, the Florentine Guilds, Dante, the Medici family, Botticelli, Michelangelo, Ghirlandaio, Ammannati, Pontormo, etc.). Students will be encouraged to develop their own experiential tools and strategies to approach the city through guided field learning activities that assess research, on-site involvement, and academic outcome for each themed walk in Florence. The classroom approach of this course is based on experiencing the city of Florence as the academic space for learning and engagement. Classes are not held in a traditional, frontal-style setting; each lesson is carefully mapped for curricular content and featured locations: lectures, observations, exercises, analysis, and reflections on presented topics are held in relevant sites that are accounted for in the academic planning, syllabus, and related course material. Coursework and submissions will be regularly assessed on the MyFUA platform through daily assignments in addition to exams, papers, and projects. Learning through the on-site classroom approach fosters a deeper understanding of the cultural environment of Florence and how it is related to the subject of study represented by the course, and allows the overall experience to contribute to the students' academic and personal enrichment.

3 semester credits. Galileo Galilei was one of the founding fathers of the modern scientific world who lived and worked for the larger portion of his life in Florence under the protection of the ruling Medici family. His life and works are a landmark in the history of science. What did he do and why is it so important? This course is designed to introduce the students to the intellectual ferment of the Renaissance, which produced the revolutionary figure of Galileo. Both the works of Galileo and his contemporaries will be examined. Visits to scientific museums and institutions in Florence form an integral part of this course.

3 semester credits. This course discusses the origins and development of the Mafia in the context of Italian politics, economics, and society from the nineteenth century to the present day. It analyzes the nature of Mafia activities and their international relevance. Special focus will be given to judicial procedures against the Mafia and the experiences of key individuals and groups contrasting their illegal activities.

3 semester credits. This course explores the meaning of the term "Renaissance" when applied to the period of Italian history from circa 1350 to 1550. The subject will be approached from a variety of standpoints: social, political, economic, intellectual, scientific, and artistic. The focus will be on the concept of Italian Renaissance Humanism and on the relationship between art and society during this period. Lectures will be supplemented by a number of visits to key historical sites in Florence. Field activities and museum visits are an integral part of the course.

3 semester credits. This course traces the rich and varied history of the Medici family, whose name has become almost synonymous with the history of Renaissance Florence itself. Beginning with the rise of the Medici bank under the astute and mindful Cosimo the Elder in the early fifteenth century, and concluding with the death of Gian Gastone de' Medici and the opulent luxuries of his princely palace in 1737, this course examines the Medici as bankers, statesmen, patrons of the arts, entrepreneurs and, ultimately, as absolute rulers of the state of Tuscany. The role of the family's female counterparts will also be examined, especially in relation to their dynastic marriages that linked the Medici to leading European political powers. Visits to key Medici historic sites (palaces and villas) are an essential component of the course.

3 semester credits. This course explores the origins, causes, and aftermath of the Nazi attempt to exterminate European Jews in an industrialized and systematic act of genocide from 1933 to 1945. Following a survey of the history of antisemitism in its various forms, the course will cover German policies and an analysis of European and American political reactions and policies in the face of unfolding events. Although the course is strongly rooted in history and politics, the Shoah will also be examined from a psychological and sociological perspective. Lectures and class discussions will be supplemented by the viewing of films and documentaries.

3 semester credits. Beginning with an examination of the “how to” advice manuals common to Italian households during the Renaissance period, this course explores various aspects of sexuality in Renaissance Italy. These aspects range from the aforementioned self-help books aimed at instructing young couples in sexual pleasure, to conception and childbirth, and an examination of the differing social roles of the common prostitute (meretrice) and the high-class courtesan (cortigiana). The theme of male homosexuality will also be explored with special focus placed on the intellectual climate of Renaissance Florence where the prevailing interest in Neoplatonic philosophy may have played a part in creating a more lenient moral climate for homosexuals. Discussions will take cue from Renaissance art in which erotic subjects became increasingly popular in courtly circles in the sixteenth century. Exploratory visits form an integral part of this course.

3 semester credits. This course guides the student through the rise of society in Ancient Greece and Rome, the Middle Ages, and the European Renaissance. This span of European history is examined from many viewpoints including the intellectual, scientific, cultural, economic, political, and social. This course includes museum visits.

3 semester credits. This course examines the Second World War as it was fought in Italy from July 1943 to May 1945, and its effects on postwar Italy. The battle for Italy was remarkable because it involved not only conventional warfare between the German and Allied armies but also an overlapping and vicious "civil war" between fascist and anti-fascist Italians. There is also the issue of the Catholic Church's neutrality, the incursion of Tito's Yugoslav partisans, and the deportation of Italian Jews to the death camps. The course will include lectures, visits related to the civil conflict in Florence, and viewings of Italian films of exceptional caliber relating to the war in Italy. Students will also be assessed on one of three Italian novels relating to this period.

3 semester credits. The course explores the secret facets of Florence from an artistic, historical, and social perspective through thematic walks and visits. Embracing the city as an unrestricted classroom, the course unveils artworks, parks, streets, and spaces such as workshops and laboratories that keep the earliest Florentine traditions alive. These traditions include carpentry, music, marble carving, papermaking, and gastronomy. Furthermore, walks and visits will investigate the changing aspects of the city from an architectural and socio-ethnic point of view. Course sessions start in the city center and transition to the areas beyond the ancient walls. This progression allows students to visualize, assess, and comprehend hidden spatial narratives of Florence from the well-known to less-frequented areas. As a result, students discover the significance of the city in its entirety, explore the relationship between the Florentine community and the arts, and develop a new way of “city-gazing” that generates knowledge through walking.

3 semester credits. This one-week intensive course explores the secret facets of Florence from an artistic, historical, and social perspective through thematic walks, visits, and dining activities. Embracing the city as an unrestricted classroom, the course unveils artworks, parks, streets, and spaces such as workshops and laboratories that keep the earliest Florentine traditions alive. These traditions include carpentry, music, marble carving, papermaking, and gastronomy. Furthermore, walks and visits will investigate the changing aspects of the city from an architectural and socio-ethnic point of view. Course sessions start in the city center and transition to the areas beyond the ancient walls. This progression allows students to visualize, assess, and comprehend hidden spatial narratives of Florence from the well-known to less-frequented areas. As a result, students discover the significance of the city in its entirety, explore the relationship between the Florentine community and the arts, and develop a new way of “city-gazing” that generates knowledge through walking.

6 semester credits. This field learning course engages the student in topics related to Italian civilization and culture through direct experience and on-going research. Places of historic, archeological, artistic, architectural, religious, and culinary importance will be introduced on-site as students are guided by the instructor to contextualize an interdisciplinary understanding of Italy. The 3-week course focuses on three distinct areas of geographic interest in Italy: Northern Italy and its relationship to Europe; Southern Italy’s proximity to Middle Eastern and Mediterranean cultures; and Central Italy’s cultural dominance due to the Etruscan, Roman, and Renaissance influence. Pre-course research is required through the analysis and study of designated resources and bibliographies. On-site fieldwork and assessment are conducted on a daily basis between the instructor and students. Discussion, recording, and presentation are essential forms of re-elaborating the course topics. The course addresses diverse historic periods of civilizations, church and state, political movements, and the development of the country from empire to unified state. This class includes field learning hours. Field learning is a method of educating through first-hand experience. Skills, knowledge, and experience are acquired outside of the traditional academic classroom setting and may include field activities, field research, and service learning projects. The field learning experience is cultural because it is intended to be wide-reaching, field-related content is not limited to the course subject but seeks to supplement and enrich academic topics. Students will have the opportunity to integrate theory and practice while experiencing Italian culture, art, and community within the Italian territory. Faculty will lead students in experiencing Italian culture through guided projects and field experiences as planned for the course. Field learning will be developed through classroom preparation, follow up projects, and guided learning outcomes. Field learning will provide students with the opportunity to develop skills and appreciate the multifold components of Italian Culture through direct experience. Field education will advance student learning as a relationship-centered process.

3 semester credits. This course focuses on the literary panorama of Florence, creating significant connections with the fields of linguistics, history, and socio-politics. Students will gain knowledge about the origins of the Italian language, they will learn about war literature and poetry, discover the key venues wherein literature flourished, explore the works of the locals, and also that of illustrious foreign authors who studied and wrote in Florence, and ultimately uncover the new literature developing in the city. The course is held outside, since Florence is the very setting of its academic content. Therefore, students will gain awareness of the significance of walking in the city so as to develop a new gaze that allows them to travel through various epochs and literary movements. This way, students will undertake an insightful journey through language, history, and narratives.

3 semester credits. One week of on-site field learning in different locations before session start: Italian-French Riviera. The course engages the student in the exploration of the history and culture of the French and Italian Riviera, a region that still today preserves a peculiar identity, and builds a bridge between the Mediterranean and Northern Europe. Strategically placed in the north of the Mediterranean, Provence and the city of Nice have always attracted civilizations from all over. Throughout its long history, people of many nationalities have docked here and been assimilated into the city, turning it into a cultural and culinary melting pot: Greeks, Romans, North Africans, Corsicans, Sicilians, Arabs, have all left their mark. The course examines the many culinary identities of the area creating a unique culinary cornucopia of different cultures and flavors, as seen in establishments such as restaurants, markets, boulangeries, Maghreb spice stalls, Mediterranean fishmongers, and Sub-Saharan vegetable vendors. The course also focuses on the relevance that the area had in the development of Europe. During the Middle Age, in monasteries and abbeys, the roots of cultural and religious traditions of Europe were continued. Furthermore, thanks to the work of the monks, the techniques of agriculture and viticulture were preserved and improved. Two of the great ancient pilgrimage routes have their start in Provence, the Camino de Santiago (Way of Saint James), through the Roman Via Aurelia to Santiago di Compostela, and the Via Francigena, which leads from France to Rome. Places of culinary, historical, and religious relevance, such as ethnic restaurants and local markets, archaeological sites, and monasteries, will be studied in order to contextualize an interdisciplinary understanding of the culture and history of the Italian and French Riviera. Group discussions and personal research assignments are essential forms of re-elaborating the course topics. The course emphasizes the development and evolution of religion, its connection to food, and their heritage in the contemporary society. Field learning is a method of educating through first-hand experience. Skills, knowledge, and experience are acquired outside of the traditional academic classroom setting and may include field activities, field research, and service learning projects. The field learning experience is cultural because it is intended to be wide-reaching, field-related content is not limited to the course subject but seeks to supplement and enrich academic topics. Students will have the opportunity to integrate theory and practice while experiencing Italian culture, art, and community within the Italian territory. Faculty will lead students in experiencing Italian culture through guided projects and field experiences as planned for the course. Field learning will be developed through classroom preparation, follow up projects, and guided learning outcomes. Field learning will provide students with the opportunity to develop skills and appreciate the multifold components of Italian Culture through direct experience. Field education will advance student learning as a relationship-centered process.

3 semester credits. The course engages the student in the exploration of the history and culture of the French and Italian Riviera, a region that still today preserves a peculiar identity, and builds a bridge between the Mediterranean and Northern Europe. Strategically placed in the north of the Mediterranean, Provence and the city of Nice have always attracted civilizations from all over. Throughout its long history, people of many nationalities have docked here and been assimilated into the city, turning it into a cultural and culinary melting pot: Greeks, Romans, North Africans, Corsicans, Sicilians, Arabs, have all left their mark. The course examines the many culinary identities of the area creating a unique culinary cornucopia of different cultures and flavors, as seen in establishments such as restaurants, markets, boulangeries, Maghreb spice stalls, Mediterranean fishmongers, and Sub-Saharan vegetable vendors. The course also focuses on the relevance that the area had in the development of Europe. During the Middle Age, in monasteries and abbeys, the roots of cultural and religious traditions of Europe were continued. Furthermore, thanks to the work of the monks, the techniques of agriculture and viticulture were preserved and improved. Two of the great ancient pilgrimage routes have their start in Provence, the Camino de Santiago (Way of Saint James), through the Roman Via Aurelia to Santiago di Compostela, and the Via Francigena, which leads from France to Rome. Places of culinary, historical, and religious relevance, such as ethnic restaurants and local markets, archaeological sites, and monasteries, will be studied in order to contextualize an interdisciplinary understanding of the culture and history of the Italian and French Riviera. Group discussions and personal research assignments are essential forms of re-elaborating the course topics. The course emphasizes the development and evolution of religion, its connection to food, and their heritage in the contemporary society. This course includes cooking labs, food and wine tastings, and visits.

6 semester credits. One week of on-site field learning in different locations before session start: Italian-French Riviera. Upon completion of the field learning week, the course continues as a regular academic session in Florence. The course engages the student in the exploration of the history and culture of the French and Italian Riviera, a region that still today preserves a peculiar identity, and builds a bridge between the Mediterranean and Northern Europe. Strategically placed in the north of the Mediterranean, Provence and the city of Nice have always attracted civilizations from all over. Throughout its long history, people of many nationalities have docked here and been assimilated into the city, turning it into a cultural and culinary melting pot: Greeks, Romans, North Africans, Corsicans, Sicilians, Arabs, have all left their mark. The course examines the many culinary identities of the area creating a unique culinary cornucopia of different cultures and flavors, as seen in establishments such as restaurants, markets, boulangeries, Maghreb spice stalls, Mediterranean fishmongers, and Sub-Saharan vegetable vendors. The course also focuses on the relevance that the area had in the development of Europe. During the Middle Age, in monasteries and abbeys, the roots of cultural and religious traditions of Europe were continued. Furthermore, thanks to the work of the monks, the techniques of agriculture and viticulture were preserved and improved. Two of the great ancient pilgrimage routes have their start in Provence, the Camino de Santiago (Way of Saint James), through the Roman Via Aurelia to Santiago di Compostela, and the Via Francigena, which leads from France to Rome. Places of culinary, historical, and religious relevance, such as ethnic restaurants and local markets, archaeological sites, and monasteries, will be studied in order to contextualize an interdisciplinary understanding of the culture and history of the Italian and French Riviera. Group discussions and personal research assignments are essential forms of re-elaborating the course topics. The course emphasizes the development and evolution of religion, its connection to food, and their heritage in the contemporary society. This course includes cooking labs, food and wine tastings, and visits. Field learning is a method of educating through first-hand experience. Skills, knowledge, and experience are acquired outside of the traditional academic classroom setting and may include field activities, field research, and service learning projects. The field learning experience is cultural because it is intended to be wide-reaching, field-related content is not limited to the course subject but seeks to supplement and enrich academic topics. Students will have the opportunity to integrate theory and practice while experiencing Italian culture, art, and community within the Italian territory. Faculty will lead students in experiencing Italian culture through guided projects and field experiences as planned for the course. Field learning will be developed through classroom preparation, follow up projects, and guided learning outcomes. Field learning will provide students with the opportunity to develop skills and appreciate the multifold components of Italian Culture through direct experience. Field education will advance student learning as a relationship-centered process.

3 semester credits. The genius of Leonardo Da Vinci is boundless and this course introduces students to his universal genius through an overview of his life, art, and his remarkable approach to the exploration of nature. Centuries before the scientific method of investigation became a standard for philosophers and scientists, Leonardo had already developed the essential characteristics that are still a part of the methodology today. Yet, his experiential and interdisciplinary approach to the world around him is still a mystery that continues to inspire current generations with the challenge to unveil the layers of his creative powers. In this course, students will have the opportunity to investigate Leonardo’s intellectual evolution, his interest in botanical studies, and his quest to discover the secrets of nature that allowed him to become a master and inspiration of Renaissance art. Leonardo’s unique path will be analyzed through a focus on his youth in Florence, his artistic career in Milan and France and the legacy of his masters, with investigation of his anatomical dissections and the inventions of extraordinary machines, as well as his approach to the mysteries of alchemy and some of his lesser-known interests. Not everybody knows that Leonardo’s genius also involved the study of table manners, the creation of kitchen utensils, and the planning of pioneering kitchen devices that will also be experimented in this course. Discussions on Leonardo’s various studies and their outcomes, guided visits in locations related to his artistic and scientific vocation, field learning activities, and a series of practical workshops on recipes written and inspired by Leonardo’s eclecticism will provide the tools to construct a comprehensive understanding of the man behind the genius. This class includes experiential learning with CEMI.

3 semester credits. This course is centered around Ferrante’s four-volume work known as The Neapolitan Novels: My Brilliant Friend (2011), The Story of a New Name (2012), Those Who Leave and Those Who Stay (2013), The Story of the Lost Child (2015). Lectures will investigate the multifaceted universe of a friendship between two women, Lila and Lenù, from their childhood to adulthood. It also aims to shed light on the connections between their experiences and Southern Italy’s complex history and culture from the post-WWII war years to the present. Through an interdisciplinary approach, the course will examine the protagonists’ effort to break out of the circle of extreme poverty, illiteracy, and male violence. Amongst the themes addressed by this course through the study The Neapolitan Novels, students will explore issues such as post-war settlement in Italy and in the South, Italy’s Southern Question, the Neapolitan Camorra and its influence on the poor, the changing role of women during the Seventies, the “Economic Miracle,” terrorism during the “anni di piombo,” student movements in the late Sixties, Italian factory strikes throughout the Seventies, and technological advancements for computing machines.

4 semester credits. This course is centered around Ferrante’s four-volume work known as The Neapolitan Novels: My Brilliant Friend (2011), The Story of a New Name (2012), Those Who Leave and Those Who Stay (2013), The Story of the Lost Child (2015). Lectures will investigate the multifaceted universe of a friendship between two women, Lila and Lenù, from their childhood to adulthood. It also aims to shed light on the connections between their experiences and Southern Italy’s complex history and culture from the post-WWII war years to the present. Through an interdisciplinary approach, the course will examine the protagonists’ effort to break out of the circle of extreme poverty, illiteracy, and male violence. Amongst the themes addressed by this course through the study The Neapolitan Novels, students will explore issues such as post-war settlement in Italy and in the South, Italy’s Southern Question, the Neapolitan Camorra and its influence on the poor, the changing role of women during the Seventies, the “Economic Miracle,” terrorism during the “anni di piombo,” student movements in the late Sixties, Italian factory strikes throughout the Seventies, and technological advancements for computing machines. This class includes field learning hours. Field learning is a method of educating through first-hand experience. Skills, knowledge, and experience are acquired outside of the traditional academic classroom setting and may include field activities, field research, and service learning projects. The field learning experience is cultural; because it is intended to be wide-reaching, field-related content is not limited to the course subject but seeks to supplement and enrich academic topics. Students will have the opportunity to integrate theory and practice while experiencing Italian culture, art, and community within the Italian territory. Faculty will lead students in experiencing Italian culture through guided projects and field experiences as planned for the course. Field learning will be developed through classroom preparation, follow up projects, and guided learning outcomes. Field learning will provide students with the opportunity to develop skills and appreciate the multifold components of Italian Culture through direct experience. Field education will advance student learning as a relationship-centered process.

3 semester credits. This course addresses significant moments in the timeline of Italian fashion from its historic origins to the present day. While exploring the art and business of Italian fashion design, students will encounter influential individuals, style and industry-changing happenings, and the places that hosted them. Designers and creative figures, industry players and companies, hallmark fashion shows, and significant Italian locations are amongst the case studies covered. Field visits and guest lectures are an essential component of this course.

3 semester credits. This course examines the popes of the eras prior to the Counter-Reformation (1530-1560) with a focus on the Renaissance. The popes preceding the Catholic reformation were not only religious magistrates but involved in activities related to politics, the arts, culture, and commerce. Such involvement in extra-religious areas brought popes face to face with issues and contexts that had little to do with the moral and religious principles inherent to the primary role of the pope. Yet the ascension of power has always been aligned with the accumulation of fame and riches, values typically associated with and appreciated by the secular and anthropocentric Renaissance society. Values that, as a matter of fact, a pope was in theory to be detached from either completely or at least in a lesser degree of magnitude and visibility. Course topics will analyze the episodes of corruption and scandal associated with the popes from the Renaissance and latter periods who contributed to generating a perception of the Roman Catholic Church that was far from edifying.

3 semester credits. This course provides a comprehensive survey of Italian art and architecture through five major movements in Italian history, starting from the art of the Roman Empire. The Medieval period is analyzed from its Byzantine roots and influence, which transitioned into the groundbreaking flowering of Renaissance artistic culture. Coursework will continue with the evolution of Italian art through the intellectual and emotional complexity of Mannerism, and conclude with the Baroque period sparked by the Counter-Reformation agenda of the Catholic church. The parallel development of related disciplines and the political and sociological currents during the historic era of each major movement will provide a wider perspective of Italian art and architecture throughout the centuries. This class includes field learning hours. Field learning is a method of educating through first-hand experience. Skills, knowledge, and experience are acquired outside of the traditional academic classroom setting and may include field activities, field research, and service learning projects. The field learning experience is cultural; because it is intended to be wide-reaching, field-related content is not limited to the course subject but seeks to supplement and enrich academic topics. Students will have the opportunity to integrate theory and practice while experiencing Italian culture, art, and community within the Italian territory. Faculty will lead students in experiencing Italian culture through guided projects and field experiences as planned for the course. Field learning will be developed through classroom preparation, follow up projects, and guided learning outcomes. Field learning will provide students with the opportunity to develop skills and appreciate the multifold components of Italian Culture through direct experience. Field education will advance student learning as a relationship-centered process.

6 semester credits. This course provides a comprehensive survey of Italian art and architecture through five major movements in Italian history, starting from the art of the Roman Empire. The Medieval period is analyzed from its Byzantine roots and influence, which transitioned into the groundbreaking flowering of Renaissance artistic culture. Coursework will continue with the evolution of Italian art through the intellectual and emotional complexity of Mannerism, and conclude with the Baroque period sparked by the Counter-Reformation agenda of the Catholic church. The parallel development of related disciplines and the political and sociological currents during the historic era of each major movement will provide a wider perspective of Italian art and architecture throughout the centuries.  This class includes field learning hours. Field learning is a method of educating through first-hand experience. Skills, knowledge, and experience are acquired outside of the traditional academic classroom setting and may include field activities, field research, and service learning projects. The field learning experience is cultural; because it is intended to be wide-reaching, field-related content is not limited to the course subject but seeks to supplement and enrich academic topics. Students will have the opportunity to integrate theory and practice while experiencing Italian culture, art, and community within the Italian territory. Faculty will lead students in experiencing Italian culture through guided projects and field experiences as planned for the course. Field learning will be developed through classroom preparation, follow up projects, and guided learning outcomes. Field learning will provide students with the opportunity to develop skills and appreciate the multifold components of Italian Culture through direct experience. Field education will advance student learning as a relationship-centered process.

3 semester credits. History has demonstrated that saints would not have existed without sinners and vice versa. The course will examine the encounters and interrelationships between “saints” and “sinners” over the course of Italian history. In many cases, the Saint was also a former Sinner but rarely the other way around. The great Saint Augustine, for example, is a testament to former sinners as seen in his famous Confessions in which his vivid, at times red-light experiences as a young man are described and redeemed by a saintly life. The texts, at times, almost hint at a subtle vein of regret and faint whiffs of nostalgia for the “dolce vita” of Augstine’s past. The same can be said of Saint Francis, who was known for conducting a dissipated, playboy-oriented lifestyle in Assisi conveniently financed by his rich father Bernardone. In other cases, history has documented epic clashes between sinners and saints-to-be. Between the dying Lorenzo il Magnifico and the future saint Savonarola, for example, in which the latter refused to absolve the former who had refused to confess his sins. Saint Bellarmine, Galileo’s inquisitor, condemned the scientist for demonstrating the error of the Sacred Scripture regarding the geocentrism, demonstrating yet again a saint’s victory. Another topic that will be examined by the course is the posthumous redemption of sinners such as the Giuseppe Verdi’s Lady of the Camellias in La Traviata and the lovers Paolo and Francesca in Dante’s Divina Commedia.

3 semester credits. The purpose of this course is painting a portrait of the Italian people through the colors and shades of the Italian lifestyle. The course will discuss the many points of pride of Italian culture as well as examine the many contradictions that may often baffle the foreign observer. Course topics will provide students with an in-depth analysis of the Italian identity addressed through readings of history, culture, and sociology.

3 semester credits. This course will explore love and romantic relationships through the words of notable individuals from the past. The letters written by great men and women - poets, novelists, musicians, philosophers, politicians, kings and queens - to their loved ones will provide an opportunity for students to examine the evolution of romantic relationships from the ancient Roman times to modern days, with a special focus dedicated to the 18th and 19th century. Through reading, analyzing, and discussing love letters and other background materials, students will explore the ties between the experience of love and its expression through the means of writing as a characteristic trait of human interaction, from an historical, social, cross-cultural, and literary point of view.

3 semester credits. In this course, students will be guided through a study of the evolution of Western medicine over the centuries, investigating the stories and histories which have framed it. Students will become familiar with the important ideas, instruments, and individuals which shaped the progression of medical traditions, from classical antiquity to modern day. This course will also explore the spaces, often unexpected or unique, in which the scientific art was practiced - such as universities, apothecaries, battlefields, monasteries, and convents. This course will give students the tools needed to analyse the intersection between the field of medicine and those of law, religion, art, and culture. Particular focus will be given to medical practices and advancements made in Italy over the centuries.