Italian Literature
A.Y. 2025/2026
Learning objectives
The course aims to provide students with a critical knowledge of the fundamental hubs of the Italian literary system, from the origins to the early nineteenth century, following the tradition and transformation of models, themes, forms.
Expected learning outcomes
By the end of the course the student will have gained knowledge of the fundamental aspects and issues of Italian literature from its origins to the early nineteenth century, with a particular focus on the relationship between Italian literature and the political and cultural history of our country, also within the variety of geographical expressions found throughout the peninsula. The student will then be able to place genres, themes, poetics, authors and works against the background of the historical context, according to a correct periodization, and will have to become familiar with the tools (metric elements, rhetoric, theory of styles and narratology) and methodologies that allow them to analyze and interpret the texts, taking into account the modalities in their transmission and the main issues related to their philological definition.
Among the skills that the student will have to acquire will include the ability to understand literary texts; correctly grasp their thematic and formal aspects; place them in their respective contexts; read and understand contributions of literary nonfiction, focusing on critical and interpretive issues; communicate with clarity and fairness in oral and written exposition, making appropriate use of the lexicon of the discipline. These skills will be acquired through a direct and continuous meeting with the instructor in the classroom. Participation in meetings and seminars organized within the Department of Literature, Philology and Linguistics will also be of great importance.
Students opting not to attend the lessons will be able to make use of the educational tools provided by the instructor on Ariel, in addition to procuring the material expressly indicated within the program or eventually put on Ariel, must contact the instructor preferably during office hours.
Among the skills that the student will have to acquire will include the ability to understand literary texts; correctly grasp their thematic and formal aspects; place them in their respective contexts; read and understand contributions of literary nonfiction, focusing on critical and interpretive issues; communicate with clarity and fairness in oral and written exposition, making appropriate use of the lexicon of the discipline. These skills will be acquired through a direct and continuous meeting with the instructor in the classroom. Participation in meetings and seminars organized within the Department of Literature, Philology and Linguistics will also be of great importance.
Students opting not to attend the lessons will be able to make use of the educational tools provided by the instructor on Ariel, in addition to procuring the material expressly indicated within the program or eventually put on Ariel, must contact the instructor preferably during office hours.
Lesson period: Activity scheduled over several sessions (see Course syllabus and organization section for more detailed information).
Assessment methods: Esame
Assessment result: voto verbalizzato in trentesimi
Single course
This course cannot be attended as a single course. Please check our list of single courses to find the ones available for enrolment.
Course syllabus and organization
A-L
Responsible
Lesson period
First semester
Course syllabus
Course title: Italian literary civilization: textual and historical-critical paths
Part A: From the Origins to 15th-16th Century: textual paths.
Students have to study the authors and the literary works here indicated, enclosed by brackets (at the end of the lessons, students will find, on MyAriel website, a detailed list of subjects):
- the Sicilian School and the Tuscan poetry (13th Century);
- Stil novo;
- Dante ("Vita nova", "Rime", "Commedia");
- Boccaccio ("Decameron");
- Humanism (14th Century): Florence (Lorenzo de' Medici, Pulci, Poliziano) and Ferrara (Boiardo, "Inamoramento de Orlando");
- Renaissance treatises (Machiavelli, Bembo, Castiglione).
Part B: From 16th Century to Alessandro Manzoni: textual paths.
Students have to study the authors and the literary works here indicated, enclosed by brackets (at the end of the lessons, students will find, on MyAriel website, a detailed list of subjects):
- epic poetry: Ariosto ("Orlando furioso"), Tasso ("Gerusalemme liberata");
- the 17th Century: the poetry (Marino) and the scientific prose (Galileo);
- Giuseppe Parini ("Il Giorno");
- Ugo Foscolo ("Ultime lettere di Jacopo Ortis", "Dei sepolcri");
- Giacomo Leopardi ("Canti", "Operette morali");
- Alessandro Manzoni ("Adelchi", "Promessi sposi").
Part C: Politics, history, thought in Petrarch's Latin and vernacular works.
Several texts by Francesco Petrarch will be considered, in partial or full reading, in order to help characterize his intellectual project, see the evolution of his thought, and understand the relationships with his biography.
Part A: From the Origins to 15th-16th Century: textual paths.
Students have to study the authors and the literary works here indicated, enclosed by brackets (at the end of the lessons, students will find, on MyAriel website, a detailed list of subjects):
- the Sicilian School and the Tuscan poetry (13th Century);
- Stil novo;
- Dante ("Vita nova", "Rime", "Commedia");
- Boccaccio ("Decameron");
- Humanism (14th Century): Florence (Lorenzo de' Medici, Pulci, Poliziano) and Ferrara (Boiardo, "Inamoramento de Orlando");
- Renaissance treatises (Machiavelli, Bembo, Castiglione).
Part B: From 16th Century to Alessandro Manzoni: textual paths.
Students have to study the authors and the literary works here indicated, enclosed by brackets (at the end of the lessons, students will find, on MyAriel website, a detailed list of subjects):
- epic poetry: Ariosto ("Orlando furioso"), Tasso ("Gerusalemme liberata");
- the 17th Century: the poetry (Marino) and the scientific prose (Galileo);
- Giuseppe Parini ("Il Giorno");
- Ugo Foscolo ("Ultime lettere di Jacopo Ortis", "Dei sepolcri");
- Giacomo Leopardi ("Canti", "Operette morali");
- Alessandro Manzoni ("Adelchi", "Promessi sposi").
Part C: Politics, history, thought in Petrarch's Latin and vernacular works.
Several texts by Francesco Petrarch will be considered, in partial or full reading, in order to help characterize his intellectual project, see the evolution of his thought, and understand the relationships with his biography.
Prerequisites for admission
There are no specific requirements different from those requested for the degree admission.
Teaching methods
Attendance to classes is strongly recommended although not mandatory. The teaching is delivered through lectures aimed primarily at the acquisition of knowledge, competence and specific language of the subject. Discussion with the teacher in the classroom is integrant part of the didactic method and aims at promoting a critical attitude and the capacity to apply the acquired competence and knowledge.
Also thanks to slide projections, lessons will focus on movements, authors and works and their cultural context; on the main critical problems of each topic, through quotations from critical essays and comparisons among different critical views; on tradition and reception of works and texts; on their most interesting formal aspects. All the materials will be available on MyAriel.
Analysis of the texts will start from the undestanding of their meaning, paying attention to the most important differences in interpretation, and will consider the prominent cultural and formal elements.
Lectures devoted to Petrarch will aim to contextualize the addressed poems from a biographical, historical and ideological point of view and provide all the elements useful for their understanding.
Non-attending students must use the materials expressly indicated in this program and will have to ask the teacher for advice either by e-mail or during office hours.
Also thanks to slide projections, lessons will focus on movements, authors and works and their cultural context; on the main critical problems of each topic, through quotations from critical essays and comparisons among different critical views; on tradition and reception of works and texts; on their most interesting formal aspects. All the materials will be available on MyAriel.
Analysis of the texts will start from the undestanding of their meaning, paying attention to the most important differences in interpretation, and will consider the prominent cultural and formal elements.
Lectures devoted to Petrarch will aim to contextualize the addressed poems from a biographical, historical and ideological point of view and provide all the elements useful for their understanding.
Non-attending students must use the materials expressly indicated in this program and will have to ask the teacher for advice either by e-mail or during office hours.
Teaching Resources
ATTENDING STUDENTS
6 ECTS: parts B and C
9 ECTS: parts A, B, C.
Parts A and B
1. It is necessary to study the topics indicated above ("Course syllabus") on a handbooks, of your choise, of Italian literary history. Some handbooks are suggested here below:
- Giancarlo Alfano, Paola Italia, Emilio Russo, Franco Tomasi, "Letteratura italiana. Manuale per studi universitari", Mondadori Università;
- Andrea Battistini, "Letteratura italiana", il Mulino;
- Hermann Grosser, "Il canone letterario", Principato;
- Claudio Marazzini, Simone Fornara, "Dove 'l sì suona", Loescher;
- Corrado Bologna, "Rosa fresca aulentissima", Loescher.
It is also recommended to study the parts related to the historical and literary topics (see "Course syllabus") in "Antologia della letteratura italiana", edited by Gabriele Baldassari and Guglielmo Barucci, Milano, Cortina, 2022.
2. It is necessary to prepare the paraphrase and commentary of the following texts in "Antologia della letteratura italiana. Dalla Scuola poetica siciliana a Alessandro Manzoni", edited by Gabriele Baldassari and Guglielmo Barucci, Milano, Cortina, 2022:
- Tenzone di Iacopo Mostacci, Pier della Vigna, Giacomo da Lentini, pp. 5-8.
- Guittone d'Arezzo, "Ahi lasso!, or è stagion de doler tanto", p. 11.
- Guido Guinizelli, "Al cor gentil rempaira sempre amore", pp. 17-20.
- Guido Cavalcanti, "Tu m'hai sì piena di dolor la mente", pp. 21-22.
- Dante Alighieri, "Guido, i' vorrei che tu e Lapo ed io", pp. 32-33.
- Dante Alighieri, "Donne ch'avete intelletto d'amore", pp. 28-31 [paraphrase of vv. 1-28, 57-70].
- Dante Alighieri, "Inferno", X, pp. 40-47 [paraphrase of vv. 52-72, 94-114].
- Dante Alighieri, "Purgatorio", XI, pp. 47-51.
- Giovanni Boccaccio, "Decameron", Introduzione alla IV giornata, pp. 83-88.
- Angelo Poliziano, "Stanze per la giostra", I, pp. 119-124 [paraphrase of octaves 12-15, 17-18, 20-21].
- Lorenzo de' Medici, "Canzona di Bacco", pp. 125-127.
- Matteo M. Boiardo, "Inamoramento de Orlando", I 1-3, pp. 131-132.
- Baldassarre Castiglione, "Libro del Cortegiano", I XXVI, pp. 161-163.
- Niccolò Machiavelli, "De principatibus", 18, pp. 178-182.
- Ludovico Ariosto, "Orlando furioso", I 1-4, pp. 190-191.
- Torquato Tasso, "Gerusalemme liberata", I 1-5, pp. 216-218.
- Giambattista Marino, "Adone", X, pp. 229-232 [paraphrase of octaves 42-45].
- Giuseppe Parini, "Mattino", pp. 259-261.
- Ugo Foscolo, "Ultime lettere di Jacopo Ortis", Lettera da Ventimiglia, pp. 284-292.
- Giacomo Leopardi, "Canto notturno di un pastore errante dell'Asia", pp. 299-304 [paraphrase of vv. 1-38].
- Alessandro Manzoni, "Adelchi", atto III, coro, pp. 318-321.
To consolidate your paraphrasing skills, it is recommended this handbook: Gabriele Baldassari, Alessandro Guardigli, "Comprendere e parafrasare", Milano, Cortina, 2024.
Part C
- Course notes.
- Anthology of Italian Literature, edited by G. Baldassari and G. Barucci, Milano, Cortina, 2022, pp. 55-78.
- From Francesco Petrarca, Prose, edited by G. Martellotti et al., Milano-Napoli, Ricciardi, 1995 (the book is available for download from internetarchive): Posteritati (pp. 3-19); De viris illustribus - Degli uomini illustri (pp. 219-267); from Familiarium rerum libri - Le Familari: no. 4 (IV, 1), A Dionigi da Borgo San Sepolcro... (pp. 831-845); no. 13 (VII, 7), A Nicola, tribuno di Roma... (pp. 891-895); no. 15 (X, 1), A Carlo IV imperatore de' Romani... (pp. 905-915); no. 17 (XI, 8), Ad Andrea Dandolo, doge di Venezia... (pp. 941-955); no. 20 (XVI, 11), A Francesco di Santi Apostoli... (pp. 975-979); no. 25 (XXIV, 3), A Marco Tullio Cicerone... (pp. 1023-1025); from the Senilium rerum libri - Le Senili: no. 2 (II, 1), A Giovanni Boccaccio... (pp. 1031-1067).
- From Francesco Petrarca, Rime, Trionfi and Poesie latine, edited by F. Neri Milano-Napoli, Ricciardi, 1951 (available through internetarchive): from Le rime: nn. VII-X (pp. 9-12); XXVII-XXVIII (pp. 36-41); LIII (pp. 76-80); CIII (p. 142); CXXXVI-CXXXVIII (pp. 201-203); from Rime disperse: n. XXIX (pp. 619-624); from Africa: La morte di Magone (pp. 685-689); from Epistole metriche: nn. II (I, 3), A Enea da Siena (pp. 711-721); IX (II, 11), A Luchino Visconti (pp. 761-763); XXII (III, 24), All'Italia (p. 805).
- Enrico Fenzi, Per Petrarca politico: Cola di Rienzo e la questione romana in "Bucolicum carmen" V, Pietas Pastoralis, in "Bollettino di Italianistica", anno 2011, n. 1, pp. 49-88 (available for download through minerva).
- Francisco Rico-Luca Marcozzi, voce Petrarca, Francesco, in Dizionario biografico degli italiani, LXXXII (2015): https://www.treccani.it/enciclopedia/francesco-petrarca_%28Dizionario-B
- Petrarca, a cura di Gabriele Baldassari e Claudia Berra, Roma, Carocci, 2025: 1. Caterina Malta, L'opera storiografica ed erudita (pp. 23-45); 2. Enrico Fenzi, La poesia latina (limited to pp. 47-72); 3. Bernhard Huss, Opere di riflessione religiosa e morale (limited to pp. 88-100); 4. Monica Berté, Epistolografia (pp. 103-119); 5. Lorenzo Geri, Invettive (pp. 121-133); 6. Gabriele Baldassari, Rerum vulgarium fragmenta (Canzoniere) (pp. 137-179); 7. Vinicio Pacca, Triumphi (Trionfi) (pp. 185-199); 16. Jiri Spicka, Petrarca, la politica, la storia (pp. 335-347); 17. Luca Bianchi, Petrarca e la filosofia (pp. 349-363).
Non Attending Students
Parts A and B
1. It is necessary to study the topics indicated above ("Course syllabus") on a handbooks, of your choise, of Italian literary history. Some handbooks are suggested here below:
- Giancarlo Alfano, Paola Italia, Emilio Russo, Franco Tomasi, "Letteratura italiana. Manuale per studi universitari", Mondadori Università;
- Andrea Battistini, "Letteratura italiana", il Mulino;
- Hermann Grosser, "Il canone letterario", Principato;
- Claudio Marazzini, Simone Fornara, "Dove 'l sì suona", Loescher;
- Corrado Bologna, "Rosa fresca aulentissima", Loescher.
It is also recommended to study the parts related to the historical and literary topics (see "Course syllabus") in "Antologia della letteratura italiana", edited by Gabriele Baldassari and Guglielmo Barucci, Milano, Cortina, 2022.
2. It is necessary to prepare the paraphrase and commentary of the following texts in "Antologia della letteratura italiana. Dalla Scuola poetica siciliana a Alessandro Manzoni", edited by Gabriele Baldassari and Guglielmo Barucci, Milano, Cortina, 2022:
- Tenzone di Iacopo Mostacci, Pier della Vigna, Giacomo da Lentini, pp. 5-8.
- Guittone d'Arezzo, "Ahi lasso!, or è stagion de doler tanto", p. 11.
- Guido Guinizelli, "Al cor gentil rempaira sempre amore", pp. 17-20.
- Guido Cavalcanti, "Tu m'hai sì piena di dolor la mente", pp. 21-22.
- Dante Alighieri, "Guido, i' vorrei che tu e Lapo ed io", pp. 32-33.
- Dante Alighieri, "Donne ch'avete intelletto d'amore", pp. 28-31 [paraphrase of vv. 1-28, 57-70].
- Dante Alighieri, "Inferno", X, pp. 40-47 [paraphrase of vv. 52-72, 94-114].
- Dante Alighieri, "Purgatorio", XI, pp. 47-51.
- Giovanni Boccaccio, "Decameron", Introduzione alla IV giornata, pp. 83-88.
- Angelo Poliziano, "Stanze per la giostra", I, pp. 119-124 [paraphrase of octaves 12-15, 17-18, 20-21].
- Lorenzo de' Medici, "Canzona di Bacco", pp. 125-127.
- Matteo M. Boiardo, "Inamoramento de Orlando", I 1-3, pp. 131-132.
- Baldassarre Castiglione, "Libro del Cortegiano", I XXVI, pp. 161-163.
- Niccolò Machiavelli, "De principatibus", 18, pp. 178-182.
- Ludovico Ariosto, "Orlando furioso", I 1-4, pp. 190-191.
- Torquato Tasso, "Gerusalemme liberata", I 1-5, pp. 216-218.
- Giambattista Marino, "Adone", X, pp. 229-232 [paraphrase of octaves 42-45].
- Giuseppe Parini, "Mattino", pp. 259-261.
- Ugo Foscolo, "Ultime lettere di Jacopo Ortis", Lettera da Ventimiglia, pp. 284-292.
- Giacomo Leopardi, "Canto notturno di un pastore errante dell'Asia", pp. 299-304 [paraphrase of vv. 1-38].
- Alessandro Manzoni, "Adelchi", atto III, coro, pp. 318-321.
To consolidate your paraphrasing skills, it is recommended this handbook: Gabriele Baldassari, Alessandro Guardigli, "Comprendere e parafrasare", Milano, Cortina, 2024.
Part C
- Anthology of Italian Literature, edited by G. Baldassari and G. Barucci, Milano, Cortina, 2022, pp. 55-78.
- Petrarca, Canzoniere, a cura di Paola Vecchi Galli e Stefano Cremonini, Milano, Rizzoli Bur, 2012: no. 1-11, 27, 28, 34, 35, 53, 77, 78, 103, 126, 136, 137, 138, 142, 263, 264, 266, 267, 292, 304, 359, 360, 366.
- From Francesco Petrarca, Prose, edited by G. Martellotti et al., Milano-Napoli, Ricciardi, 1995 (the book is available for download from internetarchive): Posteritati (pp. 3-19); De viris illustribus - Degli uomini illustri (pp. 219-267); from Familiarium rerum libri - Le Familari: no. 4 (IV, 1), A Dionigi da Borgo San Sepolcro... (pp. 831-845); no. 13 (VII, 7), A Nicola, tribuno di Roma... (pp. 891-895); no. 15 (X, 1), A Carlo IV imperatore de' Romani... (pp. 905-915); no. 17 (XI, 8), Ad Andrea Dandolo, doge di Venezia... (pp. 941-955); no. 20 (XVI, 11), A Francesco di Santi Apostoli... (pp. 975-979).
- From Francesco Petrarca, Rime, Trionfi and Poesie latine, edited by F. Neri Milano-Napoli, Ricciardi, 1951 (available through internetarchive): from Rime disperse: n. XXIX (pp. 619-624); from Africa: La morte di Magone (pp. 685-689); from Epistole metriche: nn. II (I, 3), A Enea da Siena (pp. 711-721); IX (II, 11), A Luchino Visconti (pp. 761-763); XXII (III, 24), All'Italia (p. 805).
- Enrico Fenzi, Per Petrarca politico: Cola di Rienzo e la questione romana in "Bucolicum carmen" V, Pietas Pastoralis, in "Bollettino di Italianistica", anno 2011, n. 1, pp. 49-88 (available for download through minerva).
- Enrico Fenzi, Petrarca e l'esilio: uno stile di vita, in "Arzanà", 16-17 (2013), pp. 365-402 (available for download through minerva).
- Francisco Rico-Luca Marcozzi, voce Petrarca, Francesco, in Dizionario biografico degli italiani, LXXXII (2015): https://www.treccani.it/enciclopedia/francesco-petrarca_%28Dizionario-B
- Petrarca, a cura di Gabriele Baldassari e Claudia Berra, Roma, Carocci, 2025: 1. Caterina Malta, L'opera storiografica ed erudita (pp. 23-45); 2. Enrico Fenzi, La poesia latina (limited to pp. 47-72); 3. Bernhard Huss, Opere di riflessione religiosa e morale (limited to pp. 88-100); 4. Monica Berté, Epistolografia (pp. 103-119); 5. Lorenzo Geri, Invettive (pp. 121-133); 6. Gabriele Baldassari, Rerum vulgarium fragmenta (Canzoniere) (pp. 137-179); 7. Vinicio Pacca, Triumphi (Trionfi) (pp. 185-199); 16. Jiri Spicka, Petrarca, la politica, la storia (pp. 335-347); 17. Luca Bianchi, Petrarca e la filosofia (pp. 349-363).
6 ECTS: parts B and C
9 ECTS: parts A, B, C.
Parts A and B
1. It is necessary to study the topics indicated above ("Course syllabus") on a handbooks, of your choise, of Italian literary history. Some handbooks are suggested here below:
- Giancarlo Alfano, Paola Italia, Emilio Russo, Franco Tomasi, "Letteratura italiana. Manuale per studi universitari", Mondadori Università;
- Andrea Battistini, "Letteratura italiana", il Mulino;
- Hermann Grosser, "Il canone letterario", Principato;
- Claudio Marazzini, Simone Fornara, "Dove 'l sì suona", Loescher;
- Corrado Bologna, "Rosa fresca aulentissima", Loescher.
It is also recommended to study the parts related to the historical and literary topics (see "Course syllabus") in "Antologia della letteratura italiana", edited by Gabriele Baldassari and Guglielmo Barucci, Milano, Cortina, 2022.
2. It is necessary to prepare the paraphrase and commentary of the following texts in "Antologia della letteratura italiana. Dalla Scuola poetica siciliana a Alessandro Manzoni", edited by Gabriele Baldassari and Guglielmo Barucci, Milano, Cortina, 2022:
- Tenzone di Iacopo Mostacci, Pier della Vigna, Giacomo da Lentini, pp. 5-8.
- Guittone d'Arezzo, "Ahi lasso!, or è stagion de doler tanto", p. 11.
- Guido Guinizelli, "Al cor gentil rempaira sempre amore", pp. 17-20.
- Guido Cavalcanti, "Tu m'hai sì piena di dolor la mente", pp. 21-22.
- Dante Alighieri, "Guido, i' vorrei che tu e Lapo ed io", pp. 32-33.
- Dante Alighieri, "Donne ch'avete intelletto d'amore", pp. 28-31 [paraphrase of vv. 1-28, 57-70].
- Dante Alighieri, "Inferno", X, pp. 40-47 [paraphrase of vv. 52-72, 94-114].
- Dante Alighieri, "Purgatorio", XI, pp. 47-51.
- Giovanni Boccaccio, "Decameron", Introduzione alla IV giornata, pp. 83-88.
- Angelo Poliziano, "Stanze per la giostra", I, pp. 119-124 [paraphrase of octaves 12-15, 17-18, 20-21].
- Lorenzo de' Medici, "Canzona di Bacco", pp. 125-127.
- Matteo M. Boiardo, "Inamoramento de Orlando", I 1-3, pp. 131-132.
- Baldassarre Castiglione, "Libro del Cortegiano", I XXVI, pp. 161-163.
- Niccolò Machiavelli, "De principatibus", 18, pp. 178-182.
- Ludovico Ariosto, "Orlando furioso", I 1-4, pp. 190-191.
- Torquato Tasso, "Gerusalemme liberata", I 1-5, pp. 216-218.
- Giambattista Marino, "Adone", X, pp. 229-232 [paraphrase of octaves 42-45].
- Giuseppe Parini, "Mattino", pp. 259-261.
- Ugo Foscolo, "Ultime lettere di Jacopo Ortis", Lettera da Ventimiglia, pp. 284-292.
- Giacomo Leopardi, "Canto notturno di un pastore errante dell'Asia", pp. 299-304 [paraphrase of vv. 1-38].
- Alessandro Manzoni, "Adelchi", atto III, coro, pp. 318-321.
To consolidate your paraphrasing skills, it is recommended this handbook: Gabriele Baldassari, Alessandro Guardigli, "Comprendere e parafrasare", Milano, Cortina, 2024.
Part C
- Course notes.
- Anthology of Italian Literature, edited by G. Baldassari and G. Barucci, Milano, Cortina, 2022, pp. 55-78.
- From Francesco Petrarca, Prose, edited by G. Martellotti et al., Milano-Napoli, Ricciardi, 1995 (the book is available for download from internetarchive): Posteritati (pp. 3-19); De viris illustribus - Degli uomini illustri (pp. 219-267); from Familiarium rerum libri - Le Familari: no. 4 (IV, 1), A Dionigi da Borgo San Sepolcro... (pp. 831-845); no. 13 (VII, 7), A Nicola, tribuno di Roma... (pp. 891-895); no. 15 (X, 1), A Carlo IV imperatore de' Romani... (pp. 905-915); no. 17 (XI, 8), Ad Andrea Dandolo, doge di Venezia... (pp. 941-955); no. 20 (XVI, 11), A Francesco di Santi Apostoli... (pp. 975-979); no. 25 (XXIV, 3), A Marco Tullio Cicerone... (pp. 1023-1025); from the Senilium rerum libri - Le Senili: no. 2 (II, 1), A Giovanni Boccaccio... (pp. 1031-1067).
- From Francesco Petrarca, Rime, Trionfi and Poesie latine, edited by F. Neri Milano-Napoli, Ricciardi, 1951 (available through internetarchive): from Le rime: nn. VII-X (pp. 9-12); XXVII-XXVIII (pp. 36-41); LIII (pp. 76-80); CIII (p. 142); CXXXVI-CXXXVIII (pp. 201-203); from Rime disperse: n. XXIX (pp. 619-624); from Africa: La morte di Magone (pp. 685-689); from Epistole metriche: nn. II (I, 3), A Enea da Siena (pp. 711-721); IX (II, 11), A Luchino Visconti (pp. 761-763); XXII (III, 24), All'Italia (p. 805).
- Enrico Fenzi, Per Petrarca politico: Cola di Rienzo e la questione romana in "Bucolicum carmen" V, Pietas Pastoralis, in "Bollettino di Italianistica", anno 2011, n. 1, pp. 49-88 (available for download through minerva).
- Francisco Rico-Luca Marcozzi, voce Petrarca, Francesco, in Dizionario biografico degli italiani, LXXXII (2015): https://www.treccani.it/enciclopedia/francesco-petrarca_%28Dizionario-B
- Petrarca, a cura di Gabriele Baldassari e Claudia Berra, Roma, Carocci, 2025: 1. Caterina Malta, L'opera storiografica ed erudita (pp. 23-45); 2. Enrico Fenzi, La poesia latina (limited to pp. 47-72); 3. Bernhard Huss, Opere di riflessione religiosa e morale (limited to pp. 88-100); 4. Monica Berté, Epistolografia (pp. 103-119); 5. Lorenzo Geri, Invettive (pp. 121-133); 6. Gabriele Baldassari, Rerum vulgarium fragmenta (Canzoniere) (pp. 137-179); 7. Vinicio Pacca, Triumphi (Trionfi) (pp. 185-199); 16. Jiri Spicka, Petrarca, la politica, la storia (pp. 335-347); 17. Luca Bianchi, Petrarca e la filosofia (pp. 349-363).
Non Attending Students
Parts A and B
1. It is necessary to study the topics indicated above ("Course syllabus") on a handbooks, of your choise, of Italian literary history. Some handbooks are suggested here below:
- Giancarlo Alfano, Paola Italia, Emilio Russo, Franco Tomasi, "Letteratura italiana. Manuale per studi universitari", Mondadori Università;
- Andrea Battistini, "Letteratura italiana", il Mulino;
- Hermann Grosser, "Il canone letterario", Principato;
- Claudio Marazzini, Simone Fornara, "Dove 'l sì suona", Loescher;
- Corrado Bologna, "Rosa fresca aulentissima", Loescher.
It is also recommended to study the parts related to the historical and literary topics (see "Course syllabus") in "Antologia della letteratura italiana", edited by Gabriele Baldassari and Guglielmo Barucci, Milano, Cortina, 2022.
2. It is necessary to prepare the paraphrase and commentary of the following texts in "Antologia della letteratura italiana. Dalla Scuola poetica siciliana a Alessandro Manzoni", edited by Gabriele Baldassari and Guglielmo Barucci, Milano, Cortina, 2022:
- Tenzone di Iacopo Mostacci, Pier della Vigna, Giacomo da Lentini, pp. 5-8.
- Guittone d'Arezzo, "Ahi lasso!, or è stagion de doler tanto", p. 11.
- Guido Guinizelli, "Al cor gentil rempaira sempre amore", pp. 17-20.
- Guido Cavalcanti, "Tu m'hai sì piena di dolor la mente", pp. 21-22.
- Dante Alighieri, "Guido, i' vorrei che tu e Lapo ed io", pp. 32-33.
- Dante Alighieri, "Donne ch'avete intelletto d'amore", pp. 28-31 [paraphrase of vv. 1-28, 57-70].
- Dante Alighieri, "Inferno", X, pp. 40-47 [paraphrase of vv. 52-72, 94-114].
- Dante Alighieri, "Purgatorio", XI, pp. 47-51.
- Giovanni Boccaccio, "Decameron", Introduzione alla IV giornata, pp. 83-88.
- Angelo Poliziano, "Stanze per la giostra", I, pp. 119-124 [paraphrase of octaves 12-15, 17-18, 20-21].
- Lorenzo de' Medici, "Canzona di Bacco", pp. 125-127.
- Matteo M. Boiardo, "Inamoramento de Orlando", I 1-3, pp. 131-132.
- Baldassarre Castiglione, "Libro del Cortegiano", I XXVI, pp. 161-163.
- Niccolò Machiavelli, "De principatibus", 18, pp. 178-182.
- Ludovico Ariosto, "Orlando furioso", I 1-4, pp. 190-191.
- Torquato Tasso, "Gerusalemme liberata", I 1-5, pp. 216-218.
- Giambattista Marino, "Adone", X, pp. 229-232 [paraphrase of octaves 42-45].
- Giuseppe Parini, "Mattino", pp. 259-261.
- Ugo Foscolo, "Ultime lettere di Jacopo Ortis", Lettera da Ventimiglia, pp. 284-292.
- Giacomo Leopardi, "Canto notturno di un pastore errante dell'Asia", pp. 299-304 [paraphrase of vv. 1-38].
- Alessandro Manzoni, "Adelchi", atto III, coro, pp. 318-321.
To consolidate your paraphrasing skills, it is recommended this handbook: Gabriele Baldassari, Alessandro Guardigli, "Comprendere e parafrasare", Milano, Cortina, 2024.
Part C
- Anthology of Italian Literature, edited by G. Baldassari and G. Barucci, Milano, Cortina, 2022, pp. 55-78.
- Petrarca, Canzoniere, a cura di Paola Vecchi Galli e Stefano Cremonini, Milano, Rizzoli Bur, 2012: no. 1-11, 27, 28, 34, 35, 53, 77, 78, 103, 126, 136, 137, 138, 142, 263, 264, 266, 267, 292, 304, 359, 360, 366.
- From Francesco Petrarca, Prose, edited by G. Martellotti et al., Milano-Napoli, Ricciardi, 1995 (the book is available for download from internetarchive): Posteritati (pp. 3-19); De viris illustribus - Degli uomini illustri (pp. 219-267); from Familiarium rerum libri - Le Familari: no. 4 (IV, 1), A Dionigi da Borgo San Sepolcro... (pp. 831-845); no. 13 (VII, 7), A Nicola, tribuno di Roma... (pp. 891-895); no. 15 (X, 1), A Carlo IV imperatore de' Romani... (pp. 905-915); no. 17 (XI, 8), Ad Andrea Dandolo, doge di Venezia... (pp. 941-955); no. 20 (XVI, 11), A Francesco di Santi Apostoli... (pp. 975-979).
- From Francesco Petrarca, Rime, Trionfi and Poesie latine, edited by F. Neri Milano-Napoli, Ricciardi, 1951 (available through internetarchive): from Rime disperse: n. XXIX (pp. 619-624); from Africa: La morte di Magone (pp. 685-689); from Epistole metriche: nn. II (I, 3), A Enea da Siena (pp. 711-721); IX (II, 11), A Luchino Visconti (pp. 761-763); XXII (III, 24), All'Italia (p. 805).
- Enrico Fenzi, Per Petrarca politico: Cola di Rienzo e la questione romana in "Bucolicum carmen" V, Pietas Pastoralis, in "Bollettino di Italianistica", anno 2011, n. 1, pp. 49-88 (available for download through minerva).
- Enrico Fenzi, Petrarca e l'esilio: uno stile di vita, in "Arzanà", 16-17 (2013), pp. 365-402 (available for download through minerva).
- Francisco Rico-Luca Marcozzi, voce Petrarca, Francesco, in Dizionario biografico degli italiani, LXXXII (2015): https://www.treccani.it/enciclopedia/francesco-petrarca_%28Dizionario-B
- Petrarca, a cura di Gabriele Baldassari e Claudia Berra, Roma, Carocci, 2025: 1. Caterina Malta, L'opera storiografica ed erudita (pp. 23-45); 2. Enrico Fenzi, La poesia latina (limited to pp. 47-72); 3. Bernhard Huss, Opere di riflessione religiosa e morale (limited to pp. 88-100); 4. Monica Berté, Epistolografia (pp. 103-119); 5. Lorenzo Geri, Invettive (pp. 121-133); 6. Gabriele Baldassari, Rerum vulgarium fragmenta (Canzoniere) (pp. 137-179); 7. Vinicio Pacca, Triumphi (Trionfi) (pp. 185-199); 16. Jiri Spicka, Petrarca, la politica, la storia (pp. 335-347); 17. Luca Bianchi, Petrarca e la filosofia (pp. 349-363).
Assessment methods and Criteria
- Method: The exam for 9 cfu consists of a preliminary written test on parts A and B and an oral test on part C. The exam for 6 cfu consists of an oral test on parts A and C. The written test is held in December 2025, February 2026, May 2026, September 2026; passing the written test is a prerequisite for the oral exam.
- Type of examination: written test with two open questions (a question on the authors, works or literary movements listed in the program, and a question which consists in the recognition, paraphrase and commentary of one of the texts in the program; students may choice between two pairs of questions) and oral interrogation;
- Length of written examination: 90 minutes;
- As for the written test, the criteria used to assess student's performance are relevance, completeness and correctness; the ability to elaborate an organic and coherent response, to adopt the proper formal register and to employ the appropriate specialized lexicon, and, for the second question, to adequately render a text showing a satisfactory knowledge of the literary language will be considered. Oral test consists of an interview on fundamental topics of the work dealt with in part C: the student will have to demonstrate a full ability to paraphrase the text. The criteria used to assess student's performance are: ability to critically organize informations from lessons and bibliography; competence to comprehensively and effectively expose problems and questions using proper technical language.
- Type of evaluation method: Written tests will be graded sufficient, discreet, good, excellent and will be considered in the final overall grade, that will be expressed in the 30 grade point system; even if they do not pass the written test, students can be admitted to the oral test (provided that their assessment is not seriously inadequate and they get in touch with the teacher).
- Number and types of assessment that contribute to the final evaluation: both written test and oral interrogation.
- Method of communication of the assessment results in case of written examinations: MyAriel site.
The format of the exam for students with disabilities should be arranged in advance with the professor, as well as the relevant office.
International or Erasmus incoming students are invited to contact the professor in charge of the course in a timely manner.
- Type of examination: written test with two open questions (a question on the authors, works or literary movements listed in the program, and a question which consists in the recognition, paraphrase and commentary of one of the texts in the program; students may choice between two pairs of questions) and oral interrogation;
- Length of written examination: 90 minutes;
- As for the written test, the criteria used to assess student's performance are relevance, completeness and correctness; the ability to elaborate an organic and coherent response, to adopt the proper formal register and to employ the appropriate specialized lexicon, and, for the second question, to adequately render a text showing a satisfactory knowledge of the literary language will be considered. Oral test consists of an interview on fundamental topics of the work dealt with in part C: the student will have to demonstrate a full ability to paraphrase the text. The criteria used to assess student's performance are: ability to critically organize informations from lessons and bibliography; competence to comprehensively and effectively expose problems and questions using proper technical language.
- Type of evaluation method: Written tests will be graded sufficient, discreet, good, excellent and will be considered in the final overall grade, that will be expressed in the 30 grade point system; even if they do not pass the written test, students can be admitted to the oral test (provided that their assessment is not seriously inadequate and they get in touch with the teacher).
- Number and types of assessment that contribute to the final evaluation: both written test and oral interrogation.
- Method of communication of the assessment results in case of written examinations: MyAriel site.
The format of the exam for students with disabilities should be arranged in advance with the professor, as well as the relevant office.
International or Erasmus incoming students are invited to contact the professor in charge of the course in a timely manner.
Modules or teaching units
Part A and B
L-FIL-LET/10 - ITALIAN LITERATURE - University credits: 6
Lessons: 40 hours
Part C
L-FIL-LET/10 - ITALIAN LITERATURE - University credits: 3
Lessons: 20 hours
M-Z
Lesson period
Second semester
Course syllabus
The syllabus is shared with the following courses:
- [C25-788](https://www.unimi.it/en/ugov/of/af2026000c25-788)
- [C25-788](https://www.unimi.it/en/ugov/of/af2026000c25-788)
Modules or teaching units
Part A and B
L-FIL-LET/10 - ITALIAN LITERATURE - University credits: 6
Lessons: 40 hours
Part C
L-FIL-LET/10 - ITALIAN LITERATURE - University credits: 3
Lessons: 20 hours
Educational website(s)
Professor(s)
Reception:
Tuesday 9.30-12.30
Department of Literary Studies, Philology and Linguistics, Unit of Modern Studies, second floor