Programme

Literature and Scandal: Subversive and Controversial Figures in Early Modern Spanish Literature
This course explores the relationship between literature and scandal in Early Modern Spain through the analysis of figures and texts that challenged the social, moral, and cultural norms of their time. Special attention will be given to the role of irony, satire, and the subversion of hierarchies in narrative, theatrical, and poetic genres.
The course is divided into two main sections, corresponding to the two centuries under examination. Each section begins with a series of introductory lectures offering historical and cultural context, followed by sessions introducing theoretical and methodological approaches to the literary genres studied (narrative, theatre, poetry). Readings of the works will be assigned progressively throughout the semester and will be accompanied by discussions, exercises, and group work aimed at gradually developing students’ literary analysis skills.
Note: Students whose last names begin with a letter from M to Z (Channel M–Z) will attend the course with Prof. Resta in the FIRST SEMESTER. Students from Channel A–L will attend the course with Prof. Pezzini in the SECOND SEMESTER.

Core Documentation

1. TEXTS
1. Fernando de Rojas, La Celestina, introd. by C. Samonà, translated by A. Gasparetti, edited by F. J. Lobera Serrani, Milano, Rizzoli BUR (required edition);
2. Anonymous, Lazarillo de Tormes, edited and translated by A. Gargano, Italian text with facing Spanish original, Venice, Marsilio (required edition);
3. Luis de Góngora, Lope de Vega, Francisco de Quevedo: selection of satirical sonnets (provided by the professors);
4. Andrés de Claramonte, El burlador de Sevilla (The professors will provide the Italian translation, with the Spanish text taken from the edition by M. G. Profeti in Il teatro dei secoli d'oro, edited by M. G. Profeti, Milan, Bompiani, pp. 1843–2043).

2. CRITICISM, LITERARY HISTORY, AND METHODOLOGY
a. M. Grazia Profeti, L’età d’oro della letteratura spagnola: Il Cinquecento e Il Seicento, La Nuova Italia, 1998 (only the chapters provided by the professors);
b. The introductions to the required editions of the works listed under the TEXTS section;
c. Additional critical or supporting materials made available by the instructors on the course’s Teams platform.

Reference Bibliography

See section TEXTS, point 2.

Attendance

Active and consistent attendance is strongly recommended to ensure proper preparation for the exam. A student is considered to be “attending” if they have actively participated in at least 70% of the classes. During these sessions, students will complete a series of in-class assignments, which will account for 30% of the final evaluation. Non-attending students are required to contact the professor at least two months before the exam session they intend to register for, in order to schedule a meeting. During this meeting, the professor will provide the specific syllabus designed for non-attending students (which includes different texts from those listed above) and will offer all necessary information and supporting materials for independent study, as well as access to a self-learning platform specifically designed for this purpose. This is intended to ensure adequate preparation and targeted academic support for students unable to attend the course. Students who do not follow this procedure will not be allowed to sit the exam.

Type of evaluation

In-class assignments will account for 30% of the final grade. The final evaluation of the acquired disciplinary knowledge will take place in the form of an oral examination. For non-attending students, the comprehensive assessment of theoretical and historical-cultural knowledge, as well as their ability to understand and analyze literary texts, will also be carried out orally during the final exam.

Programme

Literature and Scandal: Subversive and Controversial Figures in Spanish Literature of Early Modernity

The course explores the dialectic between literature and scandal in Spain's Early Modernity (16th-17th centuries) through the analysis of figures and texts that questioned social, moral and cultural norms of their time. Particular attention will be paid to the role of irony, satire and the subversion of hierarchies in narrative, theatrical and poetic genres.
The teaching is divided into two main sections, corresponding to the two centuries under consideration. Each
section includes an initial nucleus of introductory lessons of historical-cultural contextualisation followed by theoretical-methodological introductions to the literary genres addressed (narrative, theatre, poetry). The readings of the works will be distributed progressively throughout the semester and accompanied by
moments of discussion, exercises and group work to encourage the gradual acquisition of the tools of literary analysis.


N.B. Students with a surname beginning with a letter between M and Z (=channel M-Z) will follow the course with Prof. Resta in the FIRST SEMESTER. Students in the A-L channel will follow the course with Prof. Pezzini in the SECOND SEMESTER.

Core Documentation

1) TEXTS (to be studied in full; where a specific edition is required, it is the one required for the exam preparation):




1. F. de Rojas, La Celestina, introduzione di C. Samonà, Milano, BUR (compulsory edition);
2. Anonimo, Lazarillo de Tormes, ed. e trad. di A. Gargano, testo italiano a fronte, Venezia, Marsilio (compulsory edition);
3. Luis de Góngora, Lope de Vega, Francisco de Quevedo: selezione di sonetti satirici (texts made available by the teachers);
4. Andrés de Claramonte, El burlador de Sevilla (the edition made available by the teachers is M. G. Profeti in Il teatro dei secoli d'oro, coordinato da M. G. Profeti, Milano Bompiani, pp. 1843-2043).

Reference Bibliography

2) CRITICS and LITERARY HISTORY AND HISTORY NOTICES: a. M. Grazia Profeti, L’età d’oro della letteratura spagnola: Il Cinquecento e Il Seicento, La Nuova Italia, 1998 (only chapters made available by the teachers); b. The introductions to the compulsory editions of the works indicated in the TEXTS section; c. Other critical and/or supporting materials made available by the lecturers.

Type of delivery of the course

1) General presentation of each of the four texts or blocks of texts into which the programme is divided; information on the historical-literary context. Lectures. 2) Analysis of the female characters in the context of each of the works on the programme. Introduction to the different methodologies of analysis useful for works of drama, fiction and poetry. Lectures, classroom exercises, exercises to be carried out at other times as part of individual study. 3) The historical-literary reference framework, which will be presented in the frontal lectures, will have to be deepened by the students through the study of the Criticism and Literary History texts indicated under "Adopted texts".

Attendance

Active and constant attendance is strongly recommended for adequate preparation for the examination. A student is considered to be attending if he/she has actively attended at least 70% of the lectures, during which he/she will be required to carry out a series of in-progress exercises that will contribute 30% to the final assessment of competence. Non-attending students are invited to contact the lecturer at least two months before the call to which they intend to enrol in order to book an interview, during which the lecturer will indicate the specific syllabus for the “non-attending” mode (the texts of which are different from those indicated above) and will provide all the information and support materials for individual study, as well as access to a self-study platform specifically designed for this mode in order to ensure adequate preparation and targeted teaching support for students unable to attend the course. Those who have not followed this procedure will not be allowed to take the examination.

Type of evaluation

An in itinere assessment of the theoretical-methodological notions, of the historical-cultural context and of the basic literary skills is envisaged through a series of exercises to be carried out in both written and oral form. The in itinere exercises will contribute 30% to the final grade; the final verification of the acquired disciplinary skills will take place in oral form. For non-attending students, the overall assessment of the theoretical and cultural-historical notions, as well as the skills of understanding and analysing literary texts, will be verified orally during the exam.

Programme

The course aims to introduce students to the study of Spanish theatre, through the reading of some classical and contemporary works and an in-depth historical, cultural and literary study.

Core Documentation

• P. Calderón de la Barca, La vita è un sogno, edizione di F. Antonucci, Venezia, Marsilio;
• F. García Lorca, Nozze di sangue, edizione di E. Pittarello, Venezia, Marsilio;
• J. Sanchis Sinisterra, Ay, Carmela!, a cura di Simone Trecca, Roma, Nova Delphi Libri;
• B. Ortiz de Gondra, La famiglia Gondra. Una storia basca, Salerno, D’Amato.

Reference Bibliography

• F. Antonucci, Il Novecento letterario spagnolo, percorsi, Pisa, ETS; • D. Manera (coord.), M. Bianchi, G. Calabrese, S. Cattaneo, S. Trecca, Letteratura spagnola contemporanea, Milano, Pearson (parte 3)

Attendance

Students intending to take the examination as frequent attenders are strongly advised to actually attend, in order to acquire the necessary skills and to carry out the in itinere activities that, if successful, may result in partial exemptions. For non-attending students, a specific syllabus is envisaged, which the student must agree upon in a compulsory interview at least two months before the call in which he/she intends to take the exam, in order to be registered by the lecturer on the appropriate teaching platform.

Type of evaluation

For attending students, the acquisition of ‘Historical-literary and cultural competences’ will be verified during the oral examination; the acquisition of ‘Methodological competences’ will be evaluated both through in itinere verification activities and during the oral examination through analysis and commentary on the texts in the syllabus. For non-attending students, the acquisition of all the competences will be verified during the oral examination, which will take place on the dates of the examination dates.