CONTEMPORARY HISTORY OF VENICE

This course is addressed to students coming from all study areas.

The main goals of the course are:
• providing an historical background of the most important stages in the contemporary history of Venice;
• connecting Venetian history to the wider Italian, European and World history;
• making the students aware of the historical roots of the current problems of the city (mass tourism, depopulation, means of transport, safeguard etc.);
• enable students to present a short group work on a topic related to the contemporary history of Venice.

No prerequisites are expected for the course. It is conceived to introduce Venetian history to students who do not necessarily have a background in Italian history and it takes into account the international composition of the class.

The aim of the course is to provide a broad introduction to the political, social and cultural history of Venice from the fall of the Republic in 1797 to the present times. The history of Venice and its peculiarities will be considered within a wider Italian and European context. The modern and contemporary history of Venice will serve as a useful tool in order to understand the role played by the city in a global perspective and will allow students to better understand the challenges and difficulties that Venice is facing currently (depopulation, privatization, environmental and tourism-related issues). Different types of primary sources will be used and commented in order to get students into the various topics covered.
Different stages of the Venetian history will be considered:
• The end of the Venetian Republic and the Democratic Municipality (1797)
• The first Austrian period (1798-1805) and the Napoleonic period (1806-1814)
• The second Austrian period and the 1848 revolution
• The “Risorgimento” and the annexation of Venice to Italy (1866)
• Venice in the new Italian state at the end of the Nineteenth century
• From the turn of the century until the First World War
• The rise of Fascism
• The Second World War
• The post-WWII
• The present times

Richard Bosworth, Italian Venice. A History, Yale University Press, New Haven-London 2014.
Further readings will be suggested during the lessons and through the google classroom platform.

An oral presentation (in class) and a written exam (at the end of the course).
The written exam will consist of two questions and will define the 70% of the final grade.
In groups the students will also present to the class a specific topic related to Venetian contemporary history. The topic will be chosen by the students – according to their interests – in agreement with the teacher. This oral presentation will define the 30% of the final grade.

Frontal lectures and student presentations.
A visit is planned at the end of the course.

English

written and oral

This subject deals with topics related to the macro-area "Cities, infrastructure and social capital" and contributes to the achievement of one or more goals of U. N. Agenda for Sustainable Development