Course Description

Syllabus:  pdf Spring 2023 (68 KB)

Syllabus Disclaimer:  The information on this syllabus is subject to change. For up-to-date course information, please refer to the syllabus on your course site (Sakai, Canvas, etc.) on the first day of class.

Course Description

This course will cover the history of the Italian peninsula from the late Roman Empire to the beginnings of the Renaissance. The history of medieval Italy spans a varied and multi-ethnic trajectory following the decline of the Western Roman Empire. Special attention will be paid to developing an understanding of the unique transformations of Italian society that occurred during these centuries. The geographic determinants, the religious components, and the flowering of art and literature will be examined. The course will also concentrate on the contributions of several celebrated individuals to medieval and Renaissance Italian history. These will include a focus on Dante, Petrarch, Machiavelli, and St. Francis of Assisi.