HONORS PROGRAM 2009
The City of Florence and the Idea of the Renaissance Prof. Enoch Brater
Through art, architecture, literature and an examination of relevant historical documents, students in this course will explore the city of Florence as a laboratory for understanding the European notion of what constitues a "renaissance", both then and now. Readings and research projects for this class will be enlived by site visits in the city itself. We will compare the Florence we meet on the page with the Florence that we meet in the streets of today. How was the very concept of the Renaissance been developed from what remains of that period in today's museum-city? What has been preserved-abnd why? How have specific documents informed the meaning of the word "renaissance" and the meaning this world-view implies? Each student in this class will complete a specific research project related to the particular issues we encounter through our site visits, our discussions, and our reading and research.
The Grand Tour and the Romantic Myth of Italy Prof. Ernesto Livorni
The course focuses on that literary phenomenon that took place from the mid-eighteenth century to the end of the nineteenth century. in that period intellectuals and artists from Germany, England, and France came to visit Italy and to appreciate the remnants of the great past of the country, from the Roman Empire to the Renaissance. Needless to say, Florence was always one of the most attractive places to visit. The course includes readings from Goethe, Madame de Stael, Byron, Foscolo, Shelley, Keats, Leopardi, Robert Browning, and Elizabeth Barrett Browning.
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