GENERAL INFORMATION |

The minor in Italian Studies is an interdisciplinary program made up of a dozen faculty working in departments as diverse as History and History of Art, Architecture, Comparative Literature, Music, Government, and Romance Studies. The concentration is designed to allow students to combine their principal majors with that of Italian. Whether your interests run from Dante to Puccini, from Sergio Leone to Martin Scorsese, from Leonardo to Verdi, from Dolce to Gabbana, or from Michelangelo to Renzo Piano, the minor in Italian Studies offers a flexible program in which students can deepen their knowledge of all things Italian.

To apply for a minor in Italian Studies, please fill out this form (provided here as a pdf) and submit it to Callean Hile at the Administrative Office of the Department of Romance Studies, 303B Morrill Hall.

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REQUIREMENTS |

The requirements for the minor are:

• take at least five courses (a minimum of 15 credits) from a list of approved courses. These must come from at least three departments,and must include one introductory and one advanced course. Other courses, for instance those taken abroad as part of a student abroad program, may be approved by petition.
• enroll in the core course, "Perspectives in Italian Culture" (ITAL 2900), offered every year in the fall.
• demonstrate competence in Italian by completing ITAL 2190 or its equivalent.

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ITAL 2900, Perspectives in Italian Culture |

This course aims to help students understand the most important social, political and artistic developments occurring in contemporary Italian culture. These include the nature of geographic and national fragmentation in post-Risorgimento Italy; the "Southern" question and the phenomenon of "Cosa Nostra"; Italian contributions to world cinema; and the politics of food. By providing interdisciplinary perspectives on Italian culture, the course will introduce students to how Italian culture is produced and consumed globally today. Primary readings include selections from Peter Robb, Leonardo Sciascia and Tim Parks, flims from Rossellini, de Sica, Leone, and Benigni. A group of secondary readings stimulates the discussion of the historical and cultural panorama of contemporary Italy.

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SAMPLE COURSE OFFERINGS |

As course offerings change from year to year, students are encouraged to contact Professor Timothy Campbell (tcc9@cornell.edu) for the most recent list of accepted courses. In years past, these have included courses like "Love and Sex in the Renaissance," "Boccaccio," "Cinematic Cities," "Opera and Culture," "Dante and Deviance," "Renaissance Lyric Poetry," "Introduction to Medieval and Renaissance Literature," and "A Forkful of Spaghetti Westerns."

If you are interested, you will want to contact the Director of Undergraduate Studies who will assign you a faculty advisor. That is all there is to it!

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ACTIVITIES |

Cene Italiane alla Cornell
Want to improve your Italian before your semester abroad in Bologna, Florence, or Rome? If so, then join us for "Italian Dinners at Cornell," where native speakers of Italian and students meet over dinner to converse in Italian. The dinners take place every Monday at 6:00 pm at Okenshields in Willard Straight Hall. For further information, please contact the organizer, Michela Baraldi.

Cornell Italian-American Organization (CIAO)
CIAO promotes the appreciation of Italian culture across the Cornell campus by sponsoring activities related to Italian music, language, history, literature, film, and food. Participating in CIAO-related activities gives students, particularly Italian-Americans, a chance to learn more about Italy, its culture, and their heritage. For further information, please contact K. E. Bättig von Wittelsbach.

Italian Studies Colloquium (ISC)
The Italian program is home to the Italian Studies Colloquium, which offers an engaging intellectual atmosphere in which the faculty and students meet biweekly to discuss papers that treat all facets of Italian history, literature, or culture. Papers are distributed a week in advance to participants with the view of soliciting comments and promoting discussion. For more information contact Professor Timothy Campbell at tcc9@cornell.edu.

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FACULTY ADVISORS |

K. E. Bättig von Wittelsbach
Timothy Campbell
William Kennedy
D. Medina Lasansky
Marilyn Migiel
John M. Najemy
Carol Rosen

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CONTACT |
For more information contact the Director of Undergraduate Studies for the Romance Studies Department,
Professor Edmundo Paz Soldán.

REGISTRATION FORM |
To apply for a concentration in Italian Studies, please fill out this form (provided here as a pdf) and submit it to Callean Hile at the Administrative Office of the Department of Romance Studies, 303B Morrill Hall.

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