Document Type

Syllabus

Publication Date

Spring 2024

Course Description

This course will be a Grand Tour of the history, art, architecture, and culture of Italy. It will be loosely modeled on the Grand Tour of Italy undertaken by British aristocrats in the 18th and 19th centuries. Three centuries ago, young British gentry traveled to Italy in search of the foundations of Western Civilization, taking in the history, art, and culture of the Bel Paese. We will follow the typical route by studying the history and art of not only Rome, Florence, and Venice but also that of many other cities and places visited by Grand Tourists, including Turin, Milan, Padua, Siena, San Gimignano, Naples, Pompeii, and Sicily. We will explore the history, art, and architecture of Italy, with particular emphasis on the Roman, Renaissance, and Baroque periods, which was also the focus of the Grand Tourists. Students will learn about the historic Grand Tour as well as the history, art, and architecture of Italy's most treasured and influential cities, just as their British forebears did before the advent of mass tourism and travel. Assigned readings will include writings by Vasari, Byron, Shelley, Browning, Forster, and Twain, among others.

Student Outcomes

1. Develop historical and art historical research questions, formulate appropriate research strategies, and critically evaluate evidence about the past. 2. Develop and defend historical arguments, analyze primary and secondary sources, demonstrating an understanding of different theoretical approaches to historical interpretation. 3. Effectively communicate in clear and convincing prose and understanding of the causes of historical and artistic change. 4. Describe several varieties of experience found in the historical record and explain why diversity is a critical component ofhistory. 5. Demonstrate the ability to effectively present research orally and lead and participate in class discussions. 6. An understanding that knowledge of history, which displays both the possibilities and limitations of humanity, is a useful tool for those who wish to make the world a better place.

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