Italian Literature and Performing Arts
A.Y. 2026/2027
Learning objectives
The course aims: 1) to provide students with the methodological tools necessary for a critical analysis of the intermedial relationship between literature - particularly Italian literature - and the performing arts (with specific reference to theatre and opera, as well as cinema, television series, and digital media); 2) to foster the development of advanced analytical and critical skills in relation to the various artistic languages examined, enabling students to engage with the relevant critical bibliography; 3) to present a case study of adaptation through which students may assess and reflect upon the dynamics and interactions among different artistic languages.
Expected learning outcomes
Knowledge: Advanced knowledge, grounded in the relevant critical bibliography, of the principal stylistic and narratological aspects of the artistic languages examined; advanced knowledge of the relationship between the works examined in the course and their historical and cultural context; knowledge of bibliographic tools and critical methodologies for the analysis of literary texts and their intermedial adaptations.
Abilities: comprehension and close analysis of texts in their various forms, situated within their historical and cultural context, employing the relevant critical bibliography and developing independent skills of selection, comparison, and critical judgment; ability to identify the specific features of different artistic languages and to assess their role in shaping a common subject matter; ability to compare, independently and critically, the relationships between a literary text and its intermedial adaptations; ability to compile a scholarly bibliography and to design a research project on a literary text and its intermedial adaptations; ability to express ideas clearly and accurately, employing appropriate disciplinary terminology.
Abilities: comprehension and close analysis of texts in their various forms, situated within their historical and cultural context, employing the relevant critical bibliography and developing independent skills of selection, comparison, and critical judgment; ability to identify the specific features of different artistic languages and to assess their role in shaping a common subject matter; ability to compare, independently and critically, the relationships between a literary text and its intermedial adaptations; ability to compile a scholarly bibliography and to design a research project on a literary text and its intermedial adaptations; ability to express ideas clearly and accurately, employing appropriate disciplinary terminology.
Lesson period: First semester
Assessment methods: Esame
Assessment result: voto verbalizzato in trentesimi
Single course
This course can be attended as a single course.
Course syllabus and organization
Single session
Responsible
Lesson period
First semester
Course syllabus
Part A (20 hours, 3 ECTS): Orlando Furioso by Ludovico Ariosto: An Intermedial Poem [Michele Comelli]
Part B (20 hours, 3 ECTS): Luca Ronconi's Adaptation of Orlando Furioso [Alberto Bentoglio]
The course aims to present Ludovico Ariosto's Orlando Furioso (1532) as a text that, from its very first publication, lent itself to intermedial rewritings, both because of its intrinsic characteristics and its historical context. It will then focus on the specific case of Luca Ronconi's twentieth-century theatrical/cinematic adaptation (1968).
Starting from the concept of intermediality as an integral part of a work's reception and as a possible approach to studying Ariosto's poem, Part A (Comelli) will examine the poem's composition in relation to its historical context and to the genre of the chivalric epic. This will provide insight into Ariosto's creative workshop and into the poem as a text that incorporates and reworks multiple literary genres. Particular attention will be devoted to the theatrical dimension already inherent in Orlando Furioso, as highlighted by recent scholarship.
Part B (Bentoglio) will analyze Ronconi's theatrical adaptation, created in the second half of the twentieth century. The course will explore both the adaptation's compositional process and, above all, its staging choices. These will be discussed in class and compared with Ariosto's original text in order to highlight Ronconi's operation of genuine rewriting and reinterpretation, carried out in collaboration with Edoardo Sanguineti.
Part B (20 hours, 3 ECTS): Luca Ronconi's Adaptation of Orlando Furioso [Alberto Bentoglio]
The course aims to present Ludovico Ariosto's Orlando Furioso (1532) as a text that, from its very first publication, lent itself to intermedial rewritings, both because of its intrinsic characteristics and its historical context. It will then focus on the specific case of Luca Ronconi's twentieth-century theatrical/cinematic adaptation (1968).
Starting from the concept of intermediality as an integral part of a work's reception and as a possible approach to studying Ariosto's poem, Part A (Comelli) will examine the poem's composition in relation to its historical context and to the genre of the chivalric epic. This will provide insight into Ariosto's creative workshop and into the poem as a text that incorporates and reworks multiple literary genres. Particular attention will be devoted to the theatrical dimension already inherent in Orlando Furioso, as highlighted by recent scholarship.
Part B (Bentoglio) will analyze Ronconi's theatrical adaptation, created in the second half of the twentieth century. The course will explore both the adaptation's compositional process and, above all, its staging choices. These will be discussed in class and compared with Ariosto's original text in order to highlight Ronconi's operation of genuine rewriting and reinterpretation, carried out in collaboration with Edoardo Sanguineti.
Prerequisites for admission
There are no specific requirements for the admission.
Teaching methods
Classes will consist of lectures designed to foster the acquisition of knowledge through discussion with the instructor, with the aim of helping students develop the ability to critically engage with the material. Considerable emphasis will be placed on active student participation, encouraging questions, requests for further clarification, and reflections that contribute to the analysis and critical discussion of the authors and works studied.
Students who volunteer will be assigned individual commentary exercises to be presented in class or developed into a short essay (to be submitted at the end of the course). These assignments are intended to help students apply the skills acquired during the course, as well as gain experience with bibliographic resources and methods of textual interpretation. The individual assignment will contribute to the final course assessment.
The slides presented during lectures will be made available on MyAriel at the end of each part of the course.
In addition to obtaining the required bibliography listed in this syllabus, non-attending students are expected to consult with the teacher either by email or during office hours.
Students who volunteer will be assigned individual commentary exercises to be presented in class or developed into a short essay (to be submitted at the end of the course). These assignments are intended to help students apply the skills acquired during the course, as well as gain experience with bibliographic resources and methods of textual interpretation. The individual assignment will contribute to the final course assessment.
The slides presented during lectures will be made available on MyAriel at the end of each part of the course.
In addition to obtaining the required bibliography listed in this syllabus, non-attending students are expected to consult with the teacher either by email or during office hours.
Teaching Resources
Attending students
Part A
Text
For Ariosto's poem, students are advised to use one of the following recommended editions:
- Ludovico Ariosto, Orlando furioso, Commento di Emilio Bigi, a cura di Cristina Zampese, Milano, BUR, 2012
- Ludovico Ariosto, Orlando furioso e cinque canti, a cura di Remo Ceserani e Sergio Zatti, Torino, UTET, 2015
Students are expected to be familiar with the poem as a whole, including its structure, compositional history, and overall plot. The specific passages to be analyzed, studied, and paraphrased will be announced at the end of Part A on the course's MyAriel page.
Critical Bibliography
Students are required to study the following scholarly essays:
- Nicola Dusi, Contromisure. Trasposizioni e intermedialità, Sesto San Giovanni (MI), Mimesis, 2016, capitolo IV, pp. 99-145.
- Massimo Fusillo, Adattamento, in Cinema, letteratura, intermedialità, a cura di Giulia Carluccio, Anna Masecchia, Stefania Rimini, Roma, Carocci, 2023, pp.
- Sergio Zatti, Leggere l'"Orlando furioso", Bologna, Il Mulino, 2016
- Tina Matarrese, «A guisa di teatro»: lo spazio nella scena dell'"Orlando furioso", in L'"Orlando furioso" oltre i cinquecento anni. Nuove prospettive di lettura, a cura di Christian Rivoletti, Bologna, Il Mulino, 2023, pp. 151-168
- Francesco Ferretti, Generi, in Lessico critico dell'"Orlando furioso", a cura di Annalisa Izzo, Roma, Carocci, 2016, pp. 99-128
Parte B
Critical Bibliography
Students are required to study the following scholarly essays:
- Claudio Longhi, Orlando furioso di Ariosto-Sanguineti per Luca Ronconi, Pisa, ETS, 2006
- Stefano Tomassini, New York Furioso: Luca Ronconi e «quelli dell'Orlando» a Bryant Park (1970), Venezia, Marsilio, 2018
Non-attending students
Part A
In addition to the materials already assigned to attending students, non-attending students are required to study the following critical works:
- Stefano Jossa, Ariosto, Bologna, Il Mulino, 2009
- Corrado Confalonieri, Oltre il principio di indeterminazione. Leggere l'ironia di Ariosto fra testo, intenzione e realtà, in L'"Orlando furioso" oltre i cinquecento anni. Nuove prospettive di lettura, a cura di Christian Rivoletti, Bologna, Il Mulino, 2023, pp. 93-109
- Maria Cristina Cabani, Intertestualità, in Lessico critico dell'"Orlando furioso", a cura di Annalisa Izzo, Roma, Carocci, 2016, pp. 153-176
- Franco Tomasi, Entrelacement, in Lessico critico dell'"Orlando furioso", a cura di Annalisa Izzo, Roma, Carocci, 2016, pp. 61-80
- Stefano Jossa, Ironia, in Lessico critico dell'"Orlando furioso", a cura di Annalisa Izzo, Roma, Carocci, 2016, pp. 177-197
Parte B
In addition to the materials already assigned to attending students, non-attending students are required to prepare the critical studies listed for Part A.
Part A
Text
For Ariosto's poem, students are advised to use one of the following recommended editions:
- Ludovico Ariosto, Orlando furioso, Commento di Emilio Bigi, a cura di Cristina Zampese, Milano, BUR, 2012
- Ludovico Ariosto, Orlando furioso e cinque canti, a cura di Remo Ceserani e Sergio Zatti, Torino, UTET, 2015
Students are expected to be familiar with the poem as a whole, including its structure, compositional history, and overall plot. The specific passages to be analyzed, studied, and paraphrased will be announced at the end of Part A on the course's MyAriel page.
Critical Bibliography
Students are required to study the following scholarly essays:
- Nicola Dusi, Contromisure. Trasposizioni e intermedialità, Sesto San Giovanni (MI), Mimesis, 2016, capitolo IV, pp. 99-145.
- Massimo Fusillo, Adattamento, in Cinema, letteratura, intermedialità, a cura di Giulia Carluccio, Anna Masecchia, Stefania Rimini, Roma, Carocci, 2023, pp.
- Sergio Zatti, Leggere l'"Orlando furioso", Bologna, Il Mulino, 2016
- Tina Matarrese, «A guisa di teatro»: lo spazio nella scena dell'"Orlando furioso", in L'"Orlando furioso" oltre i cinquecento anni. Nuove prospettive di lettura, a cura di Christian Rivoletti, Bologna, Il Mulino, 2023, pp. 151-168
- Francesco Ferretti, Generi, in Lessico critico dell'"Orlando furioso", a cura di Annalisa Izzo, Roma, Carocci, 2016, pp. 99-128
Parte B
Critical Bibliography
Students are required to study the following scholarly essays:
- Claudio Longhi, Orlando furioso di Ariosto-Sanguineti per Luca Ronconi, Pisa, ETS, 2006
- Stefano Tomassini, New York Furioso: Luca Ronconi e «quelli dell'Orlando» a Bryant Park (1970), Venezia, Marsilio, 2018
Non-attending students
Part A
In addition to the materials already assigned to attending students, non-attending students are required to study the following critical works:
- Stefano Jossa, Ariosto, Bologna, Il Mulino, 2009
- Corrado Confalonieri, Oltre il principio di indeterminazione. Leggere l'ironia di Ariosto fra testo, intenzione e realtà, in L'"Orlando furioso" oltre i cinquecento anni. Nuove prospettive di lettura, a cura di Christian Rivoletti, Bologna, Il Mulino, 2023, pp. 93-109
- Maria Cristina Cabani, Intertestualità, in Lessico critico dell'"Orlando furioso", a cura di Annalisa Izzo, Roma, Carocci, 2016, pp. 153-176
- Franco Tomasi, Entrelacement, in Lessico critico dell'"Orlando furioso", a cura di Annalisa Izzo, Roma, Carocci, 2016, pp. 61-80
- Stefano Jossa, Ironia, in Lessico critico dell'"Orlando furioso", a cura di Annalisa Izzo, Roma, Carocci, 2016, pp. 177-197
Parte B
In addition to the materials already assigned to attending students, non-attending students are required to prepare the critical studies listed for Part A.
Assessment methods and Criteria
The assessment consists of an oral examination designed to evaluate students' knowledge of the course material and the critical skills they have acquired. The examination begins with the reading, contextualization, and paraphrase of a selected passage, which serves as the starting point for a broader critical discussion of the assigned bibliography and the topics covered during the course.
Students will be assessed on their ability to provide well-structured and coherent answers, use an appropriate formal register and specialized terminology, identify and discuss interpretative issues, and analyze the various aspects of the text—including its structure, themes, style, and intertextuality—in relation to its historical and cultural context.
Final grades will be awarded on the Italian 30-point grading scale. Minimum 18/30.
Examination arrangements for students with disabilities and/or specific learning disorders (DSA) will be agreed upon with the instructor in consultation with the University's designated support office.
Students will be assessed on their ability to provide well-structured and coherent answers, use an appropriate formal register and specialized terminology, identify and discuss interpretative issues, and analyze the various aspects of the text—including its structure, themes, style, and intertextuality—in relation to its historical and cultural context.
Final grades will be awarded on the Italian 30-point grading scale. Minimum 18/30.
Examination arrangements for students with disabilities and/or specific learning disorders (DSA) will be agreed upon with the instructor in consultation with the University's designated support office.
ITAL-01/A - Italian Literature - University credits: 3
PEMM-01/A - Performing Arts - University credits: 3
PEMM-01/A - Performing Arts - University credits: 3
Lessons: 40 hours
Professors:
Bentoglio Alberto, Comelli Michele Francesco Maria
Professor(s)
Reception:
wednesady 15:00-18:00, by appointment by e-mail
First floor of Dipartimento di Studi letterari, filologici e linguistici (via Festa del Perdono, 7)