The Disobedient, the Abnormal and the Criminal in Italian Literature of the Long Nineteenth Century

Syllabus             Giacomo Mannironi

The course focuses on the theme of disobedience from the second half of the 18th century to the opening decades of the twentieth.  Observing how literature, science and the press approach acts of disobedience to societal norms allows to us to understand by way of contrast how the ideal rules of behaviour for men and women—”the good Italian”—in the pre-and post-unification periods were defined. The texts studied in the course illustrate the birth of an ideology that sets out to establish in Continue reading The Disobedient, the Abnormal and the Criminal in Italian Literature of the Long Nineteenth Century

History of Science in Italy from the Late Middle Ages to the Enlightenment

Syllabus             Gian Mario Cao

This course traces the history of Western science from the late Middle Ages to the scientific revolution from an Italian perspective. It aims to account for the transformations of scientific discourse over nearly six centuries by integrating the traditional narrative of epoch-making discoveries and advances with an exploration of the contexts within which science was not only practiced and disseminated, but also criticized and opposed. Continue reading History of Science in Italy from the Late Middle Ages to the Enlightenment

Renaissance and Early Baroque Art in Bologna: From Vitale da Bologna to Domenichino and Guido Reni

Syllabus                 Elisabetta Cunsolo

The rich artistic patrimony of Bologna is a powerful testament to the city’s great cultural importance over the centuries.Due to its favorable location, as well as to the presence of its ancient and distinguished university, Bologna has always been recognized for its great geo-political importance as a place from which many new ideas were diffused Continue reading Renaissance and Early Baroque Art in Bologna: From Vitale da Bologna to Domenichino and Guido Reni