Department of French and Italian

Topic: Love and Desire in Medieval and Renaissance Italy

This course examines the most significant works of literature, art, and music of Medieval and Renaissance Italy. The period 1250-1550 in Italy was one of profound social change and deep political unrest. It gave rise to an artistic production that reshaped how people understood themselves and the world around them – and that still shapes how we live and think today. We will study works by Dante, Boccaccio, Petrarch, Vittoria Colonna, Giotto, Artemisia Gentileschi, Leonardo da Vinci, and others. We will situate these works in their social, historical, and political contexts. We will explore conceptions of love, desire, identity, and otherness. In short, we will address the fundamental question: How can literature and art give us a greater understanding of what it means to be human? Taught in English.