Italian
Italy has occupied a central place in the history of Western civilization from Roman antiquity to modernity, shaping our culture and civilization as we experience it here and now in important ways. Italian literature, history, and culture constitute a ubiquitous point of reference for disciplines across the University curriculum, whether we are speaking of history, art, music, classics, archaeology, religion, English, Romance languages and cultures, film, political science, and engineering. Home to over 60 percent of the world’s art treasures, and literary masterpieces such as Dante’s Divine Comedy, Italian is the perfect complement for majors such as art history, literature, history, music, linguistics, and education.
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 in Italian
- 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 107/IT 207: Italian in Italy (Summer Program)
- ITAL 208: Dante Alighieri in Poppi: a Centennial Program, 1321-2021
- ITAL 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 224B: Topics in Italian Culture (2 credits) – in Italian
- ITAL 224A: Topics in Italian Culture (4 credits) – in English
- ITAL 225: The Divine Comedy of Dante Alighieri: Discover the Wonders of a Medieval Mind – in translation
- ITAL 226: Between the Lines: Nature, Space, and Time in Italian Medieval Manuscripts of Dante, Petrarch, and Boccaccio
- ITAL 226: Italy and the New World: Cultural Collisions and Cultural Exchanges (alternate content)
- ITAL 227: Women’s Power in Italian Art: Eros, Passions, and Business
- ITAL 229/FREN 289/CLTR 261/AHST 288: Philosophy of Art
- ITAL 230: Italian Cities and their Civilization – in English
- ITAL 242: The Films of Pier Paolo Pasolini - in English
- ITAL 243: Postwar Italian Directors: Fellini, Antonioni, Cavani - English
- ITAL 245: Dante: A Multimedia Lab (visual & performing arts, music, film) – in English
- ITAL 246: Italian Neorealist Directors: Rossellini, De Sica, Visconti - in English
- ITAL 247: Politics and Culture in Fascist Italy – in English
- ITAL 248: Modern Italy Through Film (Italian Film) – in English
- ITAL 250: Love in Italian WWII Novels - in English
Arezzo (Italy) Program Courses Eligible for Use as Electives in the Major:
- ITAL 111/IT 153: Italian Language: Elementary & Accelerated Italian
- ITAL 15H 226/CLST 223: Monuments of Ancient Italy: History, Structure, Form
- ITAL 228/HIS 228/CLTR 207C: Modern Italian History in Arezzo
- ITAL 244/AHST 244: Art, Architecture, and Literature in the Age of Dante and Beyond
- ITAL 223: History of Italian Theater – in Italian
Eastman School of Music Courses Eligible for Use as Electives in the Major:
- ITAL 224: Italian through Cinema – in Italian, Eastman School of Music
- ITAL 232/FMST 232: Italian Neorealism: Cinema and Culture – in English
- ITAL 234/FMST 234: Theories of Adaptation in Literature, Cinema, and Opera- in English
- ITAL 235: Viva V.E.R.D.l.! The Birth of Italy through Literature, Opera, and Popular
Culture – in English - ITAL 282/FMST 224: Introduction to Italian Codinema I – in English
- ITAL 282/FMST 282: Modern Italy: Cities and Landscapes through Cinema, Music, and Literature – in English
Electives from Other Departments Eligible for Use as Electives in the Major:
- CLA 115: Roman World
- CLA 209: Ancient Roman Religion
- CLA 221: Classical Archaeology: Roman Art and Archaeology
- CLA 213: Roman Structures: Engineering in the Classical World
- HIST 107: The City: Contested Spaces
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 157/207: Italian in Italy, and a variety of other options from 200-level Italian courses.
Complete list of 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
The Arezzo Program in the fall semester offers sixteen credits that may be applied toward the requirements for the minor in Italian or an individualized major in Italian studies.
Language Placement
Students with previous experience with the Italian language should address questions about the placement process to Professor Teresa Murano (tmurano@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
Teresa Murano, Associate Professor of Instruction in Italian, Placement Advisor
Andrew Korn, Lecturer in Italian