Italian
Italy has played a significant role in the development of many cultural traditions that have shaped what is often called Western culture, from Roman antiquity to the present. Its history and intellectual life continue to offer important points of reference across disciplines including literature, art, music, film, political science, philosophy, theology, religion, and the sciences. Home to an extraordinary concentration of artistic heritage, as well as to influential historical transformations, competing ideologies—including Fascism, whose origins in Italy help us understand the resurgence and persisting appeal of authoritarian regimes—and at times jarring social conflicts, Italy provides a rich context for examining how cultures evolve, interact, and respond to change. Rather than simply celebrating the past, the study of Italy invites a critical engagement with its histories and contradictions, using them as a lens through which to imagine and shape more just and sustainable futures. Italy is also a center of creativity and production, where design, fashion, craftsmanship, and industry intersect—fields deeply rooted in local traditions yet continuously reshaped by transnational connections and the worldwide movement of people. Studying Italy also means engaging with its long-standing ties to the Mediterranean and beyond, including histories of migration, trade, and cultural exchange. The study of Italian is a valuable complement to majors in the humanities as well as in non-humanistic fields. Beginning with language acquisition, our courses range from Dante to contemporary cinema, while also addressing current issues such as migration, sustainability, and interdependence. Students develop historical awareness alongside linguistic proficiency, cultural understanding, and critical skills essential for navigating an increasingly interconnected world.
Below is information on:
- Italian major requirements
- Italian minor requirements
- Italian clusters
- Study abroad
- Language placement
- Contact information
Italian Major Requirements
The Italian major comprises 11 courses in the following categories.
FOUNDATION COURSES (two, fulfill upper level writing)
- CLTR 200: Topics in Critical Thinking
- CLTR 389: MLC Research Seminar
CORE COURSES (five)
- ITAL 151: Intermediate Italian I
- ITAL 152: Intermediate Italian II
- ITAL 200: Advanced Italian Composition and Conversation
- ITAL 202: Introduction to Italian Culture in Italian
- ITAL 203: Introduction to Italian Literature: Migration and Community Storytelling
- ITAL 220: Dante's Divine Comedy: A Journey from Inferno to Paradise, Part l: Inferno and Purgatorio
ELECTIVE COURSES (four)
Students can choose any four courses among the following. At least one of these should be in literature prior to the 16th century.
- ITAL 207: Sustainability, Food & Local Cultures (Summer Program in Italy)
- TAL 221: Dante's Divine Comedy: A Journey from Inferno to Paradise, Part II: Purgatorio and Paradiso (in sequence with IT 220)
- ITAL 222: Boccaccio's Decameron - in translation
- ITAL 229/FREN 289/CLTR 261/AHST 288: Philosophy of Art
- ITAL 242: Capitalism, Culture, Controversy: The Revolutionary Cinema of Pier Paolo Pasolini - in English
- ITAL 243: Postwar Italian Directors: Fellini, Antonioni, Cavani - in English
- ITAL 246: Italian Neorealist Directors: Rossellini, De Sica, Visconti - in English
- ITAL 247: Politics and Culture in Fascist Italy – in English
- ITAL 260: Journeys to Italy in Literature and Film - in English
Eastman School of Music Courses Eligible for Use as Electives in the Major:
- HUM 281-1: Let’s Eat, Italy: Italian History and Culture through Food
- HUM 281-2: Making Italians: Identity, Belonging, and Estrangement in the Modern World
- HUM 281-1: Made in Italy: Fashion and Design
- HUM 281-2: Italy in Music: From Opera to Rock
Electives from Other Departments Eligible for Use as Electives in the Major:
- CLST 115: Roman World
- CLST 121: History of the Ancient Roman World
- CLST 240: Ancient Roman Religion
- CLST 231: Classical Archaeology: Roman Art and Archaeology
- CLST 237: Roman Structures: Engineering in the Classical World
- ME 106: Engineering in Antiquity
- HIST 107: The City: Contested Spaces
- JWST 222/HIST 295/ITAL 251: Venice and the Jews
Complete list of Italian courses >
Italian Minor Requirements
The minor in Italian requires five courses, usually starting with ITAL 151: Intermediate Italian I. This may include ITAL 152: Intermediate Italian II, ITAL 207: Sustainability, Food & Local Cultures (Summer Program in Italy), and a variety of other options from 200-level Italian courses.
Italian Clusters
Italian Studies on Location (H1ITAL001)
The cluster includes three courses at the 200 level in Italian and in other disciplines cross-listed with Italian. It also includes an Italian language course at the beginning, intermediate, or advanced level. It is designed for students who want to learn about Italian culture from an interdisciplinary perspective and on location. The program is interdivisional and focuses on various aspects of Italian Culture and Civilization.
Introduction to Italian Language and Culture (H1ITAL005)
The cluster provides a basic knowledge of Italian grammar and an introduction to Italian culture. The third course focuses on specific authors, periods, or problems in Italian Literature, Civilization, Intellectual and Cultural History.
Intermediate Italian Language and Culture (H1ITAL006)
This cluster is designed for students with basic knowledge of Italian grammar who want to enhance their speaking, listening, and writing skills in the context of contemporary Italian culture. The third course focuses on specific authors, periods, or problems in Italian Literature, Civilization, Intellectual and Cultural History.
Advanced Italian Language and Cultural Studies (H1ITAL007)
This cluster is designed for students who want to focus on both advanced language practice and Italian Literature, Civilization, Intellectual and Cultural History.
Italian Language (H1ITAL008)
The cluster is designed for students whose interest lies mainly in acquiring linguistic competence and basic cultural awareness.
Italian Culture and Civilization (H1ITAL009)
The cluster is designed for students who have minimal or no experience in Italian language and want to focus on Italian Civilization, Intellectual and Cultural History, and Italian Literature in translation.
Boccaccio (H1INTAL002)
This cluster offers the opportunity to read the Decameron in relation to the Classical and Scriptural tradition as well as to English medieval literature, medieval history, and medieval art.
Dante (H1INTAL003)
This cluster is designed for students who wish to approach the Divine Comedy from an interdisciplinary perspective and who are interested in exploring the literary, historical, philosophical, religious, and artistic aspects of Medieval western tradition.
Study Abroad
Our summer program in Italy (ITAL 207), titled “Sustainability, Food, and Local Cultures”, is rooted in immersive learning and travels from northern to southern Italy. The course offers four credits that may be applied toward the requirements for the Italian cluster, minor and major. See the study abroad in Italy page for more information.
Language Placement
Students with previous experience with the Italian language should address questions about the placement process to Professor Lucia Casiraghi (lcasirag@ur.rochester.edu). Students who have not studied Italian previously and who are not heritage speakers of Italian may register for ITAL 101 without taking a placement exam.
Contact Information
For more information contact:
Donatella Stocchi-Perucchio, Associate Professor of Italian, Head for the Italian Program, Undergraduate Advisor, Director of the Arezzo Program, Italy
Lucia Casiraghi, Assistant Professor of Instruction in Italian
Andrew Korn, Lecturer in Italian