Taught in Italian
ITAL 1010 – Elementary Italian I
Check SIS for sections, dates, times, locations, and instructors
Prerequisites: No prior instruction in Italian. Students with previous experience in Italian must take the Italian placement exam (Date TBA). Students may not self-place in a language course.
Italian 1010 is the first class in a sequence of four courses that fulfills the language requirement. It is a beginner level class for those who have no prior knowledge of Italian. Italian 1010 is designed to provide a thorough foundation in all four language skills: listening, speaking, reading, and writing. Audio-visual material and readings focus on contemporary Italian lifestyle and provide insight into Italy’s vibrant society and rich cultural heritage. Class is conducted in Italian only.
ITAL 2010 – Intermediate Italian I
Check SIS for sections, dates, times, locations, and instructors
Prerequisites: Passing grade in ITAL 1020 or department permission. Students may not self-place in a language course. Students who did not complete ITAL 1020 are required to take the Italian placement exam (Date TBA). All students will submit proof of placement by TBA.
ITAL 2010 Intermediate Italian I is the third class in the four-course sequence which fulfills the language requirement. Students will further develop their listening, speaking, reading and writing skills as well as deepen their cultural literacy in Italian. You will accomplish these goals with the guidance of your instructor, through review of grammar, short readings, compositions, and listening and speaking activities. Students will also have the opportunity to listen to songs, comment on works of art, watch commercials and short films, read newspaper articles, and meet natives of Italy in your quest to become more confident and competent users of the Italian language.
ITAL 3010 – Advanced Italian I with Adrienne Ward
MWF 11:00-11:50AM in New CAB 207
Prerequisite: ITAL 2020
Speak Italian like a native, or close to it! This course will perfect your spoken and written Italian, through a variety of techniques. You’ll converse, recite, debate, command and even sing in Italian, to train your brain in its linguistic patterns and music. Reading and writing exercises will challenge you to move from foundational language skill to more complex Italian interactions. Vieni, che cosa aspetti??
ITAL 3110 – Medieval and Renaissance Masterpieces with Enrico Cesaretti
TuTh 12:30-1:45PM in New CAB 303
Please direct inquiries to the instructor.
Taught in English
ITTR 3559 (Cross-listed with WGS 3559) – “My Body, My Choice: Women’s Rights in Modern Italy” with Francesca Calamita
MoWe 3:00-4:15PM in New CAB 027
Taught in English. This course explores how Italian literature, cinema and the arts have represented the quest for women’s rights from the 1960s to the present. The second wave of Italian feminism scored major legal and socio-cultural achievements, which include - but are not limited to - the use of the contraceptive pill, access to safe abortion and the abolition of honour killings in the law system. Complete equality has been theoretically achieved but often undermined, such as in the Silvio Berlusconi years (since 1994). Through a close reading of Italian novels, films and other visual arts, these lectures will provide a platform to discuss the evolution of women’s rights from bodily autonomy to equal pay as well as emergencies related to women’s socio-cultural perception such as the high rate of feminicide, rape and other forms of gender-based violence. What can Italian literature, cinema and arts from the recent past teach us about the global backlash of patriarchy against women in the 2010s?
ITTR 3770 (Cross-listed with DRAM 3775) – The Culture of Italian Comedy with Adrienne Ward
MWF 12:00-12:50PM in New CAB 207
Taught in English. Learn the unique history and characteristics of Italian-style comedy! Study main strains of Italian comic culture starting with medieval and early modern traditions (theater, poetry, opera, song), then modern expressions of Italian humor in film, short fiction, online periodicals and cartoons. Discover differences in comedic traditions among regions (eg Tuscan vs Neapolitan humor), and learn theories of comedy by Pirandello, Benigni, Eco. Because a fundamental component of Italian comic culture derives from Tuscan traditions, study of these aspects will make the course especially interesting for students planning to go to or just returned from UVa study abroad programs in Siena and Florence
ITTR 4820 – Italian Pop Culture from the 1960s to the Present with Enrico Cesaretti
TuTh 11:00-12:15PM in New CAB 303
Taught in English. This course is an historical examination of the cultural, environmental and socio-political transformations that took place in Italy during its recent history. By discussing different cultural products (film, literature, music, comic books) in the period under consideration and a selection of critical essays dealing with various aspects of Italian culture, we shall reflect on the following questions: does Italy still have space for works that resist populist and consumer culture? What are the ethical and socio-political consequences of Italy’s present cultural condition? Is there a ‘real’ Italian identity?