During our first class in Winter Quarter, we need to look back at the period between the War of Spanish Succession (1700-1710) and the French Revolution. Italy in the Eighteenth Century. Politically, Italy is in decline with outside powers (Spain and Austria) dominating her territory. But culturally, it is a period of exceptional significance. People from all over the world, travel to Italy to learn from her, and enjoy her beauty, to visit her capital, and to study her painters. You see the work of one of those painters, Canaletto, above.
REQUIRED READING FOR WINTER QUARTER: TWO BOOKS
This is one of the greatest novels ever written in Italian. We are fortunate to have it as our reading for the whole of the Winter Quarter. I would suggest you read it slowly and ejoy it over the ten weeks of our study.
Make sure you are buying this edition since it has been updated in 2007.
The Duggan book is a general history of Italy that will serve you for the whole year.
