Description
The course is an introduction to the major themes of modern Italian history and culture, from the period of unification (1861) to present-day, with a special focus on the 20th century. We will examine how Italian intellectuals contributed to the development of Italy as a nation through a survey of primary sources (traditional texts, art, music, and cinema), spanning from the Medieval and Renaissance age, through the Age of Nationalism, to modern times. The political, economic, social, and cultural aspects of Italy’s history will be covered, focusing on the major historic events, which have had an impact on the formation of the collective consciousness. We will compare pre-modern and modern elements in Italian life and analyze how unification has been a controversial issue, studying the conflict among the cultures of the North and South of the Italian peninsula.
