The Course “Philology 2 B” falls within the domain of the Basic learning activities labelled “Philology, General and Applied Linguistics” of the Degree Course in Languages and Cultural-Linguistic Mediation, specifically the activities aiming at providing adequate tools for the analysis of texts in the light of their transmission and cultural context.
Building on the results achieved in the course “Philology 1”, the course aims to examine in greater depth specific aspects of the First foreign language being studied, including a diachronic study of the most relevant typological traits with reference to the relevant language family, such as e.g. phonetic, phonological, morphological and syntactic developments; the evolution of the lexicon of the language; processes of semantic shift. The course furthermore aims to further develop the literary and textual critical skills with reference to the earliest texts of the relevant cultural area.
Expected Learning Outcomes: The student will acquire further understanding and knowledge of the diachronic development of his First foreign language and will enhance his skills in the field of textual criticism.
Building on the results achieved in the course “Philology 1”, the course aims to examine in greater depth specific aspects of the First foreign language being studied, including a diachronic study of the most relevant typological traits with reference to the relevant language family, such as e.g. phonetic, phonological, morphological and syntactic developments; the evolution of the lexicon of the language; processes of semantic shift. The course furthermore aims to further develop the literary and textual critical skills with reference to the earliest texts of the relevant cultural area.
Expected Learning Outcomes: The student will acquire further understanding and knowledge of the diachronic development of his First foreign language and will enhance his skills in the field of textual criticism.
teacher profile teaching materials
Behind Italian stock phrases such as “raffreddare (far sbollire) gli ardenti spiriti”, or “umore malinconico”, or “temperamento sanguigno” lies a cultural legacy that goes back more than a thousand years. Medicine, philosophy and literature have shaped through the centuries a coherent framework of ideas and images which can help us to grasp - to give only an example – the unexpected conceptual closeness of somo of Dante's visions in the “Vita nova” and Baudelaire's “spleen”.
The course’s aim is to illustrate the evolution of the concepts of "love-sickness", "melancholy" and "madness" in literary romance texts from the origins (in particular ancient French, Occitan and Italian) up to masterpieces such as Ariosto's Furioso or Cervantes' Quixote.
During the lessons we will see how medical notions developed in the classical world were inherited by mediaeval Europe thanks to the Arab mediation, and show how medieval conception of human physiology determined the perception of some psychological phenomena.
In this framework we will cast our attention on the connections between the ideas of "love-sickness" of "melancholy" and “madness”.
Non-attending students, are invited to contact the professor at least 3 months prior the exam to define a specific program.
Programme
Love as an "illness", "melancholy" and "madness" in romance literature.Behind Italian stock phrases such as “raffreddare (far sbollire) gli ardenti spiriti”, or “umore malinconico”, or “temperamento sanguigno” lies a cultural legacy that goes back more than a thousand years. Medicine, philosophy and literature have shaped through the centuries a coherent framework of ideas and images which can help us to grasp - to give only an example – the unexpected conceptual closeness of somo of Dante's visions in the “Vita nova” and Baudelaire's “spleen”.
The course’s aim is to illustrate the evolution of the concepts of "love-sickness", "melancholy" and "madness" in literary romance texts from the origins (in particular ancient French, Occitan and Italian) up to masterpieces such as Ariosto's Furioso or Cervantes' Quixote.
During the lessons we will see how medical notions developed in the classical world were inherited by mediaeval Europe thanks to the Arab mediation, and show how medieval conception of human physiology determined the perception of some psychological phenomena.
In this framework we will cast our attention on the connections between the ideas of "love-sickness" of "melancholy" and “madness”.
Core Documentation
Lecture notes edited by the teacher.Non-attending students, are invited to contact the professor at least 3 months prior the exam to define a specific program.
Type of delivery of the course
Lectures and seminaries. Attending classes is highly recommended. Non-attending students, are invited to contact the professor at least 3 months prior the exam to define a specific program.Attendance
Attendance is strongly recommended.Type of evaluation
Oral exam. Students will have to show their understanding of the main aspects of the discipline, prove their ability to put the texts in context and correctly examine them. Students’ language skills and critical thinking will also be evaluated.