MOST OF THE CLASSES, EVENTS, AND FIELD TRIPS LISTED BELOW WILL BE CONFIRMED IN THE COMING MONTHS; THEY ARE EXPECTED TO TAKE PLACE ON THE DATES INDICATED. HOWEVER, THERE MAY BE SOME CHANGES.

 

Beauty and community

ITAL-S 190 (33199)

This course is taught in English. It counts as one full-year course (8 credits) of degree credit, fulfilling the Arts and Humanities distribution requirement (see below).
– Classes are usually on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Friday, 11:00-1:00. They are taught by Francesco Erspamer and a few guest speakers. Classrooms: in Torino, Istituto Scienza Nuova; in Trento, Dipartimento di Lettere, TBA; in Siena, Presidio San Niccolò, TBA.
– Sections are taught by TBA; they are usually on Monday, 11:45-1:00. Classrooms: in Torino, Istituto Scienza Nuova; in Trento: Dipartimento di Lettere, TBA; in Siena, Presidio San Niccolò, TBA.
– Readings, books, and requirements: check the “Requirements” page. To download the readings in PDF click here [< this link is not yet active].
– Field trips usually take place on Thursdays; most of them last all day. Please keep in mind that we may not be back until around 9:00 PM or later.
– Events and guided tours take place almost once a week and last two to three hours.
– Film screenings are once a week, usually on Tuesday; they are followed by a discussion with Prof. Erspamer. All movies are in Italian with English subtitles. Rooms: in Torino, Istituto Scienza Nuova; in Trento, Trentino Film Institute; in Siena, Presidio San Niccolò, Padiglione esterno, B.
– Italian dinners are once a week, usually on Wednesday.
– Aperitivo (only in Torino and Trento) is usually on Monday.
– Most weekends are free. There are, however, some exceptions: on June 19 and 20, there will be introductory sessions on the course, the Contradas, Italian language classes, and life in Italy; on July 3, we will travel to Trentino, and the next day we will take a trip to the Dolomites; on July 24, we will travel to Siena, and the next day we will take a city tour; on the evening of August 1, there will be a special dinner at Nicchio, featuring the lottery that assigns students to the Contrade; on August 14 and 15, we will stay in Siena for major events related to the Palio. Please keep in mind that weekends should preferably be devoted to resting, exploring the cities where we are staying, and reading for the following week. Students are strongly advised NOT to travel every weekend and to avoid long trips. Remember that you may not leave Italy for the duration of the program and that, whenever you plan to travel outside the city where we are based at that time, you must notify Prof. Erspamer of your destination in advance.

Office hours
Because we spend a lot of time together, no specific time has been set for office hours. Contact Prof. Erspamer and the teaching assistants to make an appointment, or simply meet with them after classes and events, or on bus trips and during walks.

No prerequisites
No prior background in the humanities or other subjects is required. In fact, one of the things that makes the discussions in this course so rich and thought-provoking is that our group will be made up of students from the arts and humanities, the laboratory sciences, economics, mathematics, and the social sciences.

Credits
This course fulfills the Arts and Humanities distribution requirement; however, it does not fulfill the Social Science and the Science and Engineering and Applied Sciences distribution requirements. For information and updates, please visit the Harvard College Curriculum page or contact <divdist@fas.harvard.edu>. You must consult your academic advisor or department to verify whether the course meets the requirements of your concentration. ITAL S-190 is not a Gen Ed course.

Italian language
Optional Italian language instruction is offered at the beginner, intermediate, and/or advanced levels, though not for credit. For more information, see the “Italian language” page.
The beginner class meets twice a week. Schedule and classrooms TBA.
The intermediate class meets twice a week. Schedule and classrooms TBA.
The advances class meets twice a week. Schedule and classrooms TBA.
It is recommended that students with no prior background in Italian take the beginner class, particularly in anticipation of joining Siena’s Contrade in the final weeks of the program.

Please note: Events listed in this color and preceded by the “#” symbol are not part of the official program; attendance is recommended but not required.

Week 1

TORINO

Friday, June 18
Students arrive in Torino

• 7:30 PM: Welcome dinner at Bogianen Pizzeria Piemontese, via Artisti 1 bis (a six-minute walk from the Residence).

Saturday, June 19

• 11:00 AM: Introduction to the course and the program. [Location TBA]
• 3:00 PM: Introduction to the sections and the language courses. [Location TBA]

Sunday, June 20

• 10:00 AM: Introduction to community. [Location TBA]

Week 2

Monday, June 21
Introduction to beauty

• 8:00 PM: Italian dinner at Ristorante Il Filo di Marianna (via Principe Tommaso 2 bis, in the San Salvario district, a 25-minute walk from the Residence).

Tuesday, June 22
– Reading: Immanuel Kant, Critique of Judgment, Preface, Introduction, and Part I, section I, book I.

• 2:00 PM Italy on screen/1: Nuovo Cinema Paradiso, directed by Giuseppe Tornatore (1988). Discussion to follow.

Wednesday, June 23
– Reading: Kant, Critique of Judgment, Part I, section I, book II, and section II.

• 3:20 PM: Visit to the National Museum of Cinema, an impressive museum about film inside the landmark of Torino, the towering Mole Antonelliana.
• # Celebrations for the feast of Saint John, Patron of Torino:
  – 6:30 to 10:00 PM, traditional Historical Parade along the streets of the city center, starting at the Cavour Gardens and ending in Piazza Castello.
  – 10:00 PM: in Piazza Castello, lighting of the Farò, massive ceremonial fire. An ancient tradition holds that the direction in which the silhouette of the bull placed atop the bonfire falls will determine whether the coming year will be auspicious or inauspicious for the city.

Thursday, June 24
Field trip: Lake Maggiore

• 8:50 AM: Coach bus leaves from Santa Giulia Residence (be on the street in via Buniva by five minutes earlier).
• Visit of Isola Bella, the Borromeo Palace, and the terraced gardens.
• Lunch on the Isola dei Pescatori.
  .
• # Feast of Saint John, Patron of Torino:
  – 7:00 to 11:00 PM: open air concert in Piazza Vittorio Veneto.
  – 11:00 PM: grand traditional fireworks show (best viewed from Piazza Vittorio Veneto or the riverbanks).
  > PLEASE NOTE: No reservation is required to access the DJ sets or the fireworks area; just go to one of the designated entry points in the Piazza Vittorio Veneto area. Admission will be granted until the maximum capacity is reached.

Friday, June 25
– Reading: Elaine Scarry, On Beauty and Being Just.

Week 3

Monday, June 28
Sections.

• 6:00 PM: Aperitivo.

Tuesday, June 29
Guest lecturer:  Professor Mauro Balestrieri (Università di Torino), Beauty and the law.
– Reading: Adriano Prosperi, Justice Blindfolded, chapters 1 and 2.

• 2:00 PM Italy on screen/2: La grande bellezza (The Great Beauty), directed by Paolo Sorrentino  (2013). Discussion to follow.
• 8:00 PM: Italian dinner at TBA.

Wednesday, June 30
Guest lecturer: Professor Tiziana Andina (Università di Torino), The beauty of transgenerationality.
– Reading: Tiziana Andina, A Philosophy for Future Generations, chapter 4.

Thursday, July 1
Field trip: University of Gastronomic Sciences
– Reading: Nicola Perullo, Epistenology, chapters 1 and 2.

• 9:00 AM: Coach bus leaves from Santa Giulia Residence.
• Visit of the Università di scienze gastronomiche in Pollenzo, etablished by the Slow Food Movement to study the relation of food with culture and the enviroment. Welcome from Prof. Nicola Perullo, rector of the university.
• Mini-seminar on food with Prof. Perullo (philosophy and culture of taste and conviviality), Dr. Elena Mancioppi (socio-politics of smell), Dr. Riccardo Migliavada (food choices between emotion and cognition), Prof. Lorenzo Bairati (food law), Dr. Elena Corcione (food and rights), Prof. Simone Cinotto (meaning of Italian cuisine and gastronomy).
• Guided tour of the campus.
• Lunch at “Academic Tables”, the canteen of the university.
• Visit to the Banca del vino (wine bank), wine tasting, and talk by Prof. Perullo on the aesthetics of wine.

Friday, July 2
– Readings: 1) Walter Benjamin, “The Work of Art in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction”.  2) Chantal Mouffe, “Art and Democracy: Art as an Agnostic Intervention in Public Space”.

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TRENTINO

Saturday, July 3
Program moves to Molveno
– 9:00 AM: Coach bus leaves from Santa Giulia Residence.

• 8:00: Dinner at Ristorante Nembia.

Sunday, July 4
Field trip in the Dolomites

• 8:30 AM: Jeeps leave Garnì Lago Nembia.
• Hike in the Val d’Ambiez, at the foot of the Brenta Mountains; guided by Giulio Elmi.
• Visit to Malga Senaso di Sotto.
• Lunch at Rifugio al Cacciatore.
  .
• 8:00 PM: Dinner at Ristorante Nembia.

Week 4

Monday, July 5
Sections on the lake (at 11:00 AM)

Field trip to Fiavè

• 2:00 PM: Coach bus leaves Garnì Lago Nembia.
• Visit to the Pile Dwelling Museum.
• Visit to the UNESCO world heritage site of the peat bog of Fiavé.
• Visit to Maso Torbaia, with Stefano Carloni.
• Dinner at Maso Torbaia.

Tuesday, July 6
Class on the lake (at 10:00 AM)
– Reading: TBA.

Program moves to Trento
– 3:00 PM: Coach bus leaves from Garnì Lago Nembia.

Wednesday, July 7
– Readings: Byung-Chul Han, “Views of Inactivity”, “The Smooth”.

• 2:30 PM Italy on screen/3: Perfetti sconosciuti (Perfect Strangers), directed by Paolo Genovese (2016). Discussion to follow.

Thursday, July 8
Field trip: Centrale Fies
Bring a sandwich or other picnic food for lunch, and be sure to buy it before the bus leaves (there won’t be any other opportunities until we arrive in Riva this afternoon). We’ll have our picnic on the banks of the Sarca River and then head to the shore of Lake Garda; I therefore recommend that you wear a swimsuit and bring a towel.

• 10:30 AM: Bus leaves Grand Hotel Trento.
• 11:30 AM: Visit to Centrale Fies, an independent centre for residencies and the production of contemporary performing arts. Picnic on the banks of the Sarca River.
• 2:30 PM: Moving to Riva del Garda.
• 6:30 PM: apericena at Riva del Garda.

Friday, July 9
– Readings: 1) Thomas Frank, The Conquest of Cool, chapter 6 (“Think Young: Youth Culture and Creativity”).  2) Anthony Julius, Transgressions: The Offences of Art, chapter 1 (“A Transgressive Work and its Defences”).  3) Tibor Scitovsky, The Joyless Economy: The Psychology of Human Satisfaction, chapter 3 (“The Pursuit of Novelty”).

Week 5

Monday, July 12
Sections.

Tuesday, July 13
– Reading: Martin Heidegger, “The Origin of the Work of Art”.

• 2:30 PM Italy on screen/4: Le otto montagne (The Eight Mountains), directed by Felix Van Groeningen and Charlotte Vandermeersch (2022). Discussion to follow.

Wednesday, July 14
– Reading: Brian Boyd, On the Origin of Stories: Evolution, Cognition, and Fiction, part 2 (“Evolution and Art”).

• 8:00 PM: Italian dinner at TBA.

Thursday, July 15
– Reading: Brian Boyd, On the Origin of Stories: Evolution, Cognition, and Fiction, part 3 (“Evolution and Fiction”)

Friday, July 16
Field trip to Val di Non

• 8:50 AM: Coach bus leaves from Grand Hotel Trento.
• 10:30 AM: Guided tour of Rio Sass Canyon.
• Lunch at Rifugio Regole.
• Class in Palazzo Comunale.
  – Readings: Roberto Esposito, Communitas, “Introduction”.
• Beer tasting (Fon, Birrificio artigianale).
• Walk in the “Pradei”.
• “Coppa dell’amicizia” at gelateria Cavallari.

Week 6

Monday, July 19
Sections.

Tuesday, July 20
STUDENTS’ PRESENTATIONS
– Sartwell, Six Names of Beauty.

Wednesday, July 21
Midterm exam (at 10:00 AM in classroom 001).

• 2:30 PM Italy on screen/5: TBA. Discussion to follow.

Thursday, July 22
– Readings:  TBA.

• 8:00 PM: Italian dinner at TBA.

Friday, July 23
– Readings: 1) John Dewey, Art as Experience, chapters 1 (“The Live Creature”) and 14 (“Art and Civilization”). 2) Martha Nussbaum, Poetic Justice: The Literary Imagination and Public Life, chapter 4 (“Poets as Judges”).

SIENA

Saturday, July 24

Program moves to Siena
9:00 AM: Coach bus leaves from Grand Hotel Trento.

• 8:00 PM: Italian dinner at Antica Trattoria Papei, piazza Mercato 6.

Sunday, July 25

• 5:00 PM: Discover Siena tour.

Week 7

Monday, July 26
Sections.

Tuesday, July 27
– Reading: Alan Dundes and Alessandro Falassi, La Terra in Piazza, chs. 3-6.

• 10:30 AM, Padiglione esterno: Italy on screen/6: Palio, directed by Cosima Spender (2015). Discussion to follow.

Wednesday, July 28
Guest lecturer:  Professor Simone Borghesi (Università di Siena), Environmental economics.
– Reading: TBA.

Thursday, July 29
Guest lecturer:  Professor Onofrio Romano (Università di Roma Tre), Environmental humanities.
– Reading: Onofrio Romano, “The Society of Degrowth”.

• 2:30 PM Italy on screen/7: TBA. Discussion to follow.

Friday, July 30
Field trip: Florence

• Discovery coffee course at the Espresso Academy, in Florence, via delle Torri 55: 2 hours (first group 11.30-1.30, second group 3-5). Instructor: Gabriele Cortopassi, barista, restaurant manager, coffee expert. See how coffee is blended and roasted. Learn the main types of coffee and the techniques for preparing espresso, cappuccino, latte. Then make your cappuccino and top it off by pouring a milk heart.
  – Reading: Jeffrey Schnapp, “The Romance of Caffeine and Aluminium”.
  .
• 1.30 PM (for both groups): Lunch at Circolo ricreativo Le Torri, via Lunga 157.

Sunday, August 1

• 7:45 PM: Visit to the Contrada del Nicchio (meeting point: Via dei Pispini at Fondata dei Pispini, in front of the Società la Pania, a four-minute walk from the Rifugio). This will be followed by dinner at the “Pania”. At the end of the dinner, each student will be assigned by lottery and for life to one of the ten Contrade that will compete in the Palio dell’Assunta.

Week 8

Monday, August 2
Sections.

Tuesday, August 3
– Readings: Machiavelli, The Prince.

• 2:15 PM: Italy on screen/8: La chimera, directed by Alice Rohrwacher (2023). Discussion to follow.

Wednesday, August 4
– Readings: TBA.

• 8:00 PM: Italian dinner at TBA.

Thursday, August 5
– Readings: 1) Pico della Mirandola, On the Dignity of Man.  2) Giorgio Vasari, Life of Michelangelo (from The Lives of the Artists, 1550).  3) Jonathan K. Nelson and Richard J. Zeckhauser, The Patron’s Payoff: Conspicuous Commissions in Italian Renaissance Art, chapter 3 (“Theories of Distinction: Magnificence and Signaling”).

• Field trip: Val d’Orcia and Montalcino.
  With archeologist Stefano Campana (University of Siena).
  • 3:30 PM: Bus leaves from the Parcheggio del Campino below the Fortezza (a full 30-minute ealk from the Refugio: go to Piazza Gramsci, where you boarded the bus to go to Florence, then take via Lizza, via Franci, via Cadorna, and via Vittorio Veneto).
  • Visit to the Abbey of San’Antimo.
  • Wine tasting in Montalcino, home of the famous Brunello wine. 

Friday, August 6
– Reading: Giovanni Della Casa, Galateo.

Week 9

Monday, August 9

• 11:00 AM: Visit to the Pinacoteca nazionale di Siena. Each student is assigned a painting to observe and study carefully so it can be discussed during the final exam.

• # Palio event:
  – early morning: Terra in piazza

Tuesday, August 10
– Reading: Italo Calvino, Invisible Cities. (Class will be held at Hotel Minerva, via Garibaldi 72)

• 2:30 PM (at Hotel Minerva): Slideshow and discussion of the final projects.

• # Palio event:
  – 7:00 PM presentation of the drappellone (banner) in Cortile del Podestà, in Palazzo Pubblico. Be there half an hour earlier.
  .
• # Perseid meteor shower.

Wednesday, August 11
Reading day.

• # Palio event:
  – 5:30 AM: “prove di notte” (heats to select the ten horses that will run the Palio).

Thursday, August 12
10:00 AM-5:00 PM (at Hotel Minerva): FINAL EXAMS (1)

• # Palio event:
  – 5:30 AM: “prove di notte” (heats to select the ten horses that will run the Palio).

THE DAYS OF THE PALIO

Friday, August 13
2:00-5:00 PM (at Hotel Minerva): FINAL EXAMS (2)

• # Palio events:
  – 12:00 PM: La tratta (lottery to assign the horses to the Contrade)
  – 7:00 PM: first trial.

Saturday, August 14

• # Palio events:
  – 9:00 AM: Second trial.
  – 4:00 PM: Corteo del Cero (Procession of the Candles), from the Chiesa di San Giorgio in via Pantaneto to the Duomo.
  – 7:00 PM: Third trial.
  – 9:00 PM: at Siena Cathedral, the traditional concert for the Feast of the Assumption, dedicated this year to “The Toccata and the Mystery of the Resurrection.” Organist: Cesare Mancini. Free admission. Music by Johann Sebastian Bach, Sigfrid Karg-Elert, Franz Joseph Stoiber, Georges Kriéger, Thomas Riegler, Louis Vierne, and Jacques Charpentier.

Sunday, August 15
Ferragosto: national holiday.

• # Palio events:
  – 9:00 AM: Fourth trial
  – 6:30 PM: Prova generale (fifth trial), preceded by the traditional charge of the Carabinieri on horseback.
  – 10:00 AM: Solemn Mass in the Duono celebrated by Cardinal Lojudice, Archbishop of Siena. If you want to attend the Mass with Prof. Erspamer, meet him in front of the Duomo at 9:40.
  .
• 8:30 PM: Cena della prova generale (open-air dinner in each contrada).

Week 10

Monday, August 16
Palio dell’Assunta.

• # Palio events:
  – 7:45 AM: In the chapel in front of Palazzo Pubblico, the Archbishop of Siena celebrates the Messa del Fantino (Jockey’s Mass).
  – 8:30 AM: Provaccia (sixth trial).
  – 4:10 PM: Clearing of the track.
  – 4:45 PM: Parade and charge of the Carabinieri on horseback.
  – 4:50 PM: Corteo storico (historical parade).
  – 5:45 PM: Closure of access from Via Duprè (opened about twenty minutes earlier).
  – 7 PM: Exit of the horses from the Cortile del Podestà for the Palio.

Tuesday, August 17
The Palio: rain date.

Wednesday, August 18
Program ends.