ITALIAN LITERATURE IN THE ANCIENT REGIME

The course is placed among the disciplines of the Master’s degree course in Italian Philology, Linguistics and Literature. Its purpose is to deepen the critical knowledge of Italian literature from the 17th to 18th century and that of the fundamental tools for textual interpretation, so as to provide students with the necessary skills to contextualize the authors examined, to analyze the texts to rhetorical and stylistic level and achieve the capacity to interpret them in a reasonably autonomous way.

By the end of this course the student will have acquired extensive knowledge and advanced skills in the methodological field related to the Italian literature of the Ancient Regime in his relations with contemporary culture, and a developed awareness of the plurality of critical-methodological approaches to the text. In fact, it is expected to be able to understand, to analyze and to interpret the literary texts object of the course with the appropriate methods and tools, to identify and to examine themes, topics and ideas developed by the treated authors, to organize the contents in appropriate synthesis.

To adequately follow the lessons the student must have a good knowledge of the Italian language, learn about the historical development of Italian literature of medieval and humanistic-Renaissance age.

Foscolo and the 18th century European novel.
Foscolo wrote "Ortis" with the desire to confront the identity of modern European fiction, especially with Rousseau and Goethe, aiming at a narrative capable of involving the reader by combining the power of passion with the contemporary nature of events. In the course of a complex editorial process (from 1798 to 1817) the Foscoli novel changed its appearance, becoming part of the great current of contemporary literature. If in the youthful Bologna edition the comforting gaze of fantasy, for which love moves all things, alternates with the usurping force that dominates history, the final London edition, more mature even in form, marginalizes the shadow of Werther to focus attention on the love of the homeland in the light of the dramatic political upheavals in Italy.

The texts analyzed in class will be uploaded on the University’s “Moodle” e-learning platform.
Critical Bibliography:
M.A. Terzoli, "Le prime lettere di Jacopo Ortis. Un giallo editoriale fra politica e censura", Salerno Editrice, 2004;
M. Palumbo, "Foscolo", il Mulino, 2010, pp. 37-60;
E. Neppi, "Paradigmi del romanzo epistolare nel Settecento europeo: La Nouvelle Héloïse, il Werther e l’Ortis", in F. Forner, V. Gallo, S. Schwarze, C. Viola (eds.), "Le carte false. Epistolarità fittizia nel Settecento italiano", Edizioni di Storia e Letteratura, 2017, pp. 317-370.

The final verification of learning consists of:
the preparation of a paper of about ten folders on one of the topics covered in class;
in an oral exam of about 30 minutes. The student must show to know the historical and cultural context, object of the course, to be able to frame, analyze and comment appropriately the texts and to be able to expose correctly and clearly the contents.
The evaluation criteria respond to different skill levels: from the minimum level of correct understanding of the meanings and the elements of historical-cultural contextualization of the literary texts at the highest level of knowledge deepened of the contents and the ability of critical reorganization of the same and of ex-cellent exhibition competence.

The course consists of lectures, which involve active participation by students and make use of multimedia support (use of Word and Power Point with the projector).
The teaching materials used in class will be available on the e-learning platform "Moodle" of Ateneo, where self-assessment tests will be inserted.

Italian

oral

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