Dates and location

The Summer School will take place in Padua, Italy, from 3 to 30 July 2023 (4 weeks)

  Course contents

The School includes 48 hours of Italian language courses and 48 hours of seminars/excursions. In addition to classroom lectures, guided tours and excursions are planned. 6 ECTS can be expected to be awarded. 

The course includes three modules of Italian history and culture plus an Italian language module (depending on the student's level). The three modules are as follows.

Module A. Urban Culture and Politics in the Age of Giotto               

The middle age is often thought as a dark, highly religious, narrow-minded age to live in, or, on the other hand, a sort of fairy tale world with knights, castles and courtly love. Historical documents, paintings and sculptures are telling us a story about how society was way more complex and sophisticated than that.

The età comunale, the age between 1300 and 1400 where power in Italy was in the hand of its cities, is an interesting case study to look at pulses and attempts of new ways to practice democracy, faction clashes and rejection of tyranny.

This course will provide an insight into characteristic cultural and political sides of such period, its concept of “good” and “bad”. You will study how urban identity started its raise from the usage of public areas to build monuments, city walls and government buildings; but also how these very same spaces played a role in exiling those who committed crimes against the city or had a different political thought.

Module B. Science and Economy in the Age of Galileo

Galileo Galilei played a critical role in modern science. His most famous invention, the telescope, works itself as a metaphor for the human beings trying to look beyond their world, willing to rationalize nature by observing, mapping, quantifying, registering and regulating its materials and symbols.

This approach was shared by the society Galileo was living in, creating the foundation for explorations and expansions occurring between 1450 and 1650 during the first modern globalization.

This course will offer an overview of this important period and will analyze the connection between science, economy and power. Botany, cartography and librarianship knowledge will be considered, during lectures and on-line activities, as well as the influence that ancient world culture had on that society by scientists, merchants, diplomats and inventors. 

Module C. Italian fascism, history of a dictatorship

What is Fascism?  How did it change Italy and Europe? And why was this regime founded in Italy?

This course will offer an overview on the main aspects of this political regime, analysing the role violence played and its impact on society. But it will also offer elements to analyse the reasons for its development in the interwar period in a country like Italy, its impact in Europe and beyond and the relevance of its legacy in post-war Italy. 

Through lectures, workshops and group discussion, it will provide students with an insight into sources, tools, and methodologies to approach the study of fascism, its historical context and its legacy.

  Course fees

The cost of the Summer School is as following:

800 EUR for the first 20 selected students. The fee includes:
- the course fee
- accommodation in the University’s residences with cooking facilities
- extracurricular programme of excursions 

400 EUR for all other selected students. This fee does not include accommodation.

Additionally, an application fee of 30 EUR is requested to all applicants in order to submit the application.

  How to apply

Apply online at the following link: https://apply.unipd.it/courses/course/224-italian-history-and-culture?search=1443912

In order to apply, you will have to complete the online application form and upload an updated CV, a motivation letter, your Transcript of Records and an English certificate (B2 level or higher). Proficiency in Italian is not required, but we kindly ask you to indicate your level.

  Application deadline

Online applications close on 6 March 2023

Notification of acceptance will be sent by 30 March 2023

  Contacts

Department of Historical and Geographic Sciences and the Ancient World

email: summerschool.dissgea@unipd.it

  Summer Term 2021

The University of Padova offers you the opportunity to enrich your summer with three online intensive courses dedicated to Italian history and culture.
Courses will include lectures, workshops and interactive group activities and it will grant the participants with 3 ECTS.
The courses are open to Bachelor students (2nd/3rd year) or Master students (1st year).
The course fee is 150 EUR. Full fee waivers are offered to students enrolled at University of Padua partner universities (please download the list of the partner universities from the link below).
To apply for our Summer Term courses, you will need to upload an updated CV, a motivation letter, your Transcript of Records and an English certificate (B2 level or higher).
Detailed information on each course is available below.

Applications are open until 23 August 2021.

---

 

COURSES

Italian fascism, history of a dictatorship > August 30 – September 9

What is Fascism?  What brought Italy to go through such historical period, led by this ideology?

Ideologies develop through single men and women desires, through economic power and interests, and usually succeed when a common ground is found to tie them together. An ideology though, is also rooted in a specific historical moment, and Fascism prospered between World War I and World War II: a critical moment in Europe for its expression of political power.

Is Fascism over? Its heritage is still visible in Italian culture, for example in its concept of art, expressed in fascist architecture.

This course will present the main aspects of this political experience, the role that violence played, its impact on society. Through on-line lectures, workshops and group discussion, it will provide students with an insight into sources, tools, and methodologies to approach the study of fascism and its historical context.

Urban Culture and Politics in the Age of Giotto > August 30 – September 10

The middle age is often thought as a dark, highly religious, narrow-minded age to live in, or, on the other hand, a sort of fairy tale world with knights, castles and courtly love. Historical documents, paintings and sculptures are telling us a story about how society was way more complex and sophisticated than that.

The età comunale, the age between 1300 and 1400 where power in Italy was in the hand of its cities, is an interesting case study to look at pulses and attempts of new ways to practice democracy, faction clashes and rejection of tyranny.

This course will provide an insight into characteristic cultural and political sides of such period, its concept of “good” and “bad”. You will study how urban identity started its raise from the usage of public areas to build monuments, city walls and government buildings; but also how these very same spaces played a role in exiling those who committed crimes against the city or had a different political thought.

Science and Economy in the Age of Galileo > July 6 th – 17 th

Galileo Galilei played a critical role in modern science. His most famous invention, the telescope, works itself as a metaphor for the human beings trying to look beyond their world, willing to rationalize nature by observing, mapping, quantifying, registering and regulating its materials and symbols.

This approach was shared by the society Galileo was living in, creating the foundation for explorations and expansions occurring between 1450 and 1650 during the first modern globalization.

This course will offer an overview of this important period and will analyze the connection between science, economy and power. Botany, cartography and librarianship knowledge will be considered, during lectures and on-line activities, as well as the influence that ancient world culture had on that society by scientists, merchants, diplomats and inventors.

• Partner universities (.xlsx file) Download
• Detailed course description Download
• Programme and lecturers - Italian Fascism: History of a Dictatorship Download
• Programme and lecturers - Science and Economy in the age of Galileo Download
• Programme and lecturers - Urban Culture and Politics in the Age of Giotto Download