F1001 Italian Contemporary History

The course is an introduction to modern Italian politics, society and culture in a historical and comparative
perspective. The period covered spans from 1796 to 2008, i.e. from the process of Nation-Building to the
Present.

Similarly to Germany and unlike Spain, Italy is a new nation-state. The beginning of the process of
unification can be traced back to the Napoleonic Age, which saw the diffusion of ideals of Liberalism,
Democracy and Nationalism. The foundation of the new Kingdom (1861) was followed by attempts to forge
a common identity in the context of a liberal but conservative State, which set the basis of the first
industrialization. After the Great War, the peninsula saw the rise of the first Fascist Regime in Europe, as a
result of an alliance between Mussolini, the Monarchy and the Catholic Church. The military defeat and the
1943-45 Civil War, paved the way for a Republic, characterized by a blocked political system with the
Catholic Party in power and the largest Communist Party in the West on the opposition. In 1992-94 judges’
investigation and arrests of corrupt politicians contributed to a revolution in the party system, which founded
the present political landscape.

Interactive lectures will cover this narrative revolving around six major Italian movies, which will be object of
discussion: Il Gattopardo by Luchino Visconti, Amarcord by Federico Fellini, La Notte di San Lorenzo by
Giuseppe and Paolo Taviani, Don Camillo by Julien Divivier, Mimì metallurgico ferito nell’onore by Lina
Wertmueller and Il Caimano by Nanni Moretti.

The focus will also be on: Church-State relations and the influence of Catholicism, origins and development
of the Mafia, North-South divide, social transformations, emigration and immigration, 1968 movements,
economic miracle and development of the Made in Italy, controversies over Berlusconi.

A set of readings downloadable from the courseblog provide further insight, including articles by the best
scholars published in English, such as John Davis, Adrian Lyttelton, Paul Corner, Gianfranco Pasquino, Percy
Allum and Perry Anderson.

Students are expected to contribute to class, by doing two oral presentations and writing one research
paper, developing themes of personal interest, in agreement with the Professor. Topics can range from
Literature to Economics, from Law to Cinema. Past themes have included: Pinocchio and the Unification of
Italy, A comparison between National-Socialism and Fascism, Milan as the capital of fashion, The American
and the Italian Southern Question, Neorealist Cinema and Post-War Culture, Japanese and Italian Feminism
Compared.

Oral presentations should be done possibly in groups of two participants, each one speaking for approx. 15
minutes, mixing nationality. Research papers must include bibliographical references and footnotes.