C9283 - IMMAGINARIO BIBLICO NELLA LETTERATURA ITALIANA

Learning outcomes

The course focuses on the fortune of the Bible in Italian literature, from the Middle Ages to modern and contemporary writers. Particular attention is paid to the historical and sociological dynamics that characterize the reception of biblical imagery in different eras, as well as to the relationship between literary rewritings of the Bible with contemporary rewritings in other arts. At the end of the course, students: will know the literary sources in relation to the fortune of biblical language and imagery; they will acquire the fundamental tools to investigate the dynamics of reception and rewriting of biblical narrative material with particular reference to literary rewritings in the Italian area.

Course contents

The course is divided into two parts:

A. FOUNDATIONAL PART: Theory and practice of biblical intertextuality

For this part, students must prepare a theoretical essay on the relationship between the Bible and literature and demonstrate knowledge of the key themes and issues involved in studying this relationship.

B. SPECIALIZED PART: Ugo Foscolo and the Bible

The course focuses on Ugo Foscolo’s Le ultime lettere di Jacopo Ortis, providing an introduction to the text through the reading and analytical commentary of selected letters. The aim of the course is to critically examine the pervasive presence of biblical intertextuality in Foscolo’s novel.

Readings/Bibliography

A. FOUNDATIONAL PART: Theory and practice of biblical intertextuality

Northrop Frye, Il grande codice. La Bibbia e la letteratura, Torino, Einaudi, 1986 (or subsequent reprints).

B. SPECIALIZED COMPONENT: Ugo Foscolo and the Bible

Primary texts:

Ugo Foscolo, Le ultime lettere di Jacopo Ortis

Recommended edition: edited by Maria Antonietta Terzoli, Rome, Carocci, 2012 (or subsequent reprints).

Critical essays:

Maria Antonietta Terzoli, Il libro di Jacopo. Scrittura sacra nell’Ortis, Rome, Salerno Editrice, 1988.

N.B. For the core component, in addition to the textbook listed above, *non-attending students* are required to study the entire volume by Matteo Palumbo, Foscolo, Bologna, il Mulino, 2010.

Teaching methods

- Lectures involving the reading and analysis of texts

- Historical contextualization of literary texts, including their relationship to other art forms

- Comparison and discussion of critical hypotheses

Assessment methods

The course concludes with an oral examination comprising both a general (foundational) section and a specialized section. The exam aims to assess: 1) basic knowledge regarding the general syllabus; 2) the ability to understand the issues addressed during lectures and in the textbook; 3) knowledge of the discipline’s historical development; 4) the ability to contextualize the texts and issues studied and discuss them critically; and 5) the quality of oral expression and the ability to construct a logical, well-reasoned argument. Students intending to take the oral exam must register via the Almaesami platform and are required to prepare the entire syllabus; students who have prepared only part of the syllabus will not be admitted to the exam. Final assessment will be based on the following criteria: 1) insufficient grade: lack of basic knowledge and inability to correctly interpret the texts and/or issues; 2) sufficient grade: possession of basic knowledge; interpretation that is largely correct but lacks precision and independence; 3) good grade: possession of intermediate-level knowledge; interpretation that is fully correct but not always precise or independent; 4) excellent grade: possession of advanced-level knowledge; interpretation of issues that is not only correct but also demonstrates independence and precision, alongside excellent oral expression skills.

Teaching tools

- PowerPoint presentations

- Image projection

- Viewing of audiovisual materials

Students requiring compensatory tools due to disabilities or specific learning disorders (SLD) may inform the instructor of their needs so that they can be directed to the appropriate contact persons and agree on the most suitable accommodations.

Office hours

See the website of Nicolò Maldina