ITALIAN LITERATURE

This class is inserted between the basic disciplines of the degree programme in Language, Culture and Society of Asia and Mediterranean Africa. It aims at providing students with the main instruments for analysing and interpreting literary texts and an adequate knowledge of Italian literature between the 14th and 16th centuries.
Its main objectives are: 1) to trace a historical and critical itinerary that combines theory with the analysis of meaningful literary texts within the novella tradition; 2) to encourage the development of critical thinking in the study of literary texts; 3) to offer the basic methodology that should be employed in the analysis of literary texts.

1) Knowledge and comprehension
Students should be able to trace the history of Italian literature from the 14th to the 16th centuries, with special attention to the novella tradition; they should know and understand both the language and the contents of literary texts of the period, connecting them to the correspondent historical and cultural context.

2) Employment of knowledge and comprehension skills
Students should be able to employ their historical and critical knowledge in the study of Italian literature; they should use in a proper way the specific vocabulary of the discipline; they should be able to analyse literary texts.

3) Judgment
Students should be able to analyse in a personal and critical way literary texts and issues.

4) Communication skills
Students should be able to express their knowledge and ideas resorting to a proper vocabulary.

5) Learning skills
Students should be able to critically consult the assigned texts as well as the bibliography.

A good knowledge of Italian language; standard abilities to understand texts written in Italian; basic knowledge of Italian literature.

THE NOVELLA END THE EAST IN THE MIDDLE AGES AND THE RENAISSANCE
This class will be devoted to the Italian novella tradition between the 14th and the 16th centuries. Focusing on the relations between the East and the West, it will examine meaningful case studies, such as the "Decameron" by Giovanni Boccaccio, the "Novelliere" by Giovanni Sercambi, the "Novelle" by Matteo Bandello, the "Peregrinaggio di tre giovani figliuoli del re di Serendippo" by Cristoforo Armeno, and the "Ecatommiti" by Giovan Battista Giraldi Cinzio. This class will examine novellas connected in different ways to the Eastern world, analysing the multifarious representations of the East and its relations with the Western world.

The following texts must be studied for the final exam:
1. M. Fiorilla, "Il capolavoro narrativo: il Decameron", in "Boccaccio", a cura di M. Fiorilla e I. Iocca, Roma, Carocci, 2021, pp. 95-140 (except parr. 4.2 and 4.3).
2. E. Menetti, "Introduzione", in M. Bandello, "Novelle", edizione aggiornata, a cura di E. Menetti, Milano, BUR, 2022, pp. 5-50.
3. R. Bragantini, "L’enigma di una raccolta di enigmi", in "Il riso sotto il velame. La novella cinquecentesca tra l’avventura e la norma", Firenze, Olschki, 1987, pp. 127-150.
4. S. Villari, "Autore, narratori, personaggi: il contesto ‘intradiegetico’ degli Ecatommiti", «Schede umanistiche», XXXVI, 1, 2022, pp. 109-124.

A dossier containing the texts that will be analysed in class will be uploaded to the Moodle at the beginning of the course. Students must study them for the final exam, together with the aforementioned bibliography.

Oral exam, which aims at testing students’ knowledge of the syllabus. Students will be asked to demonstrate their knowledge of the themes and texts analysed in class, to detect connections between literature and contemporary historical and cultural contexts, and to analyse and comment literary texts in an accurate way. Students will be evaluated also according to their ability to employ a proper vocabulary.
Further details on the assessment criteria can be found in the following sections.

oral

A final mark between 18 and 22 will be given to students who will demonstrate a generic but acceptable knowledge of the contents of the course, a basic ability to understand and analyse literary texts, even if they make some mistakes, and basic but not always correct language skills.
A final mark between 23 and 26 will be obtained by students who will demonstrate a good knowledge of the contents of the course, an effective ability to understand and analyse literary texts, despite some slight inaccuracies, and suitable language skills, resorting adequately to the technical vocabulary of literary criticism.
A final mark between 27 and 30 will be awarded to students who will demonstrate a thorough knowledge of the contents of the course, a remarkable ability to understand and analyse literary texts, and outstanding language skills, resorting to the technical vocabulary of literary criticism with proficiency. When all these parameters are excellent students get 30 cum laude.
Students will not pass the final exam if they show poor knowledge of the contents of the course, scarce ability to understand and analyse literary text, and inadequate language skills.

Lectures with active student participation. Didactic materials, which students must study for the final exam, will be made available on the e-learning platform (Moodle).

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