ITALIAN LITERATURE: HISTORY AND TEXTS

Course objectives

General objectives: the course is aimed at students of master's degree courses who already possess historical-literary, metric and narratological knowledge, and intends to present an exemplary theme (an author, a text, a genre ... ) of particular importance, also on the methodological level, inserting it into the current discussions on the subject, placing it in the appropriate historical-literary context, and highlighting the most relevant philological problems. Specific training objectives are: 1. acquisition of in-depth skills concerning nodal issues of Italian studies; 2. acquisition of a secure working methodology (critical analysis of the current bibliography, ability to work directly on ancient and modern texts, ability to put them in relation with other historical-cultural disciplines); 3. ability to discuss critical bibliography at an advanced level; 4. ability to communicate the acquired information and explain the procedures that allowed the acquisition; 5. development of new texts analysis skills through their formal characters, and the comparison between similar objects.

Channel 1
LUCA FIORENTINI Lecturers' profile

Program - Frequency - Exams

Course program
Decameron, days Three and Five The course will be devoted to the study of two days of Boccaccio’s Decameron. The lessons, seminar-based in nature, will focus primarily on the formal analysis of the novellas, the study of their sources, and the exploration of the relationship they establish with Boccaccio’s other works.
Prerequisites
Excellent knowledge of the Italian literature. Familiarity with Classical and Mediaeval literature.
Books
Giovanni Boccaccio, Decameron, a cura di V. Branca, Einaudi, Torino 1980
Frequency
Normal attendance in university classrooms.
Exam mode
Reading, paraphrasing and commenting on the text. To obtain a pass (18/30), it will be necessary to demonstrate a full grammatical understanding of the passages examined. The complexity and richness of the commentary will allow for higher marks. To obtain a mark of 30/30 cum laude, the student must demonstrate excellent knowledge of all the topics covered in the course, being able to link them together in a logical and coherent manner. For non-attending students, a written exam is required; the topic will be agreed upon with the teacher.
Bibliography
Mario Lavagetto, Oltre le usate leggi. Una lettura del Decameron, Einaudi, Torino 2019 Lucia Battaglia Ricci, Ragionare nel giardino. Boccaccio e i cicli pittorici del Trionfo della morte, Salerno, Roma 2000 Elisabetta Menetti: Boccaccio: guida al Decameron, Carocci, Roma 2025
Lesson mode
Close reading and analysis of the text and its sources.
  • Lesson code1025247
  • Academic year2025/2026
  • CourseModern Philology
  • CurriculumSingle curriculum
  • Year1st year
  • Semester2nd semester
  • SSDL-FIL-LET/10
  • CFU6