The course aims to provide students with some bibliographical and critical tools useful for reading and contextualizing the literary studies (particularly on Dante) of Francesco De Sanctis, also in relation to the contemporary debate and the revival of themes and perspectives by Benedetto Croce, Antonio Gramsci, and Gianfranco Contini.
Course Prerequisites
Knowledge of the basic notions of the history of literature is required
Teaching Methods
The course essentially develops in frontal lessons, but shared readings and comments of texts are also planned. In some cases, the presentation, during the course, can be requested by the analysis of specific short critical essays, agreed with the teacher and autonomously carried out.
Assessment Methods
Oral exam, designed to assess the student's acquisition of the main skills related to the course topics, as well as their ability to navigate the understanding of a critical essay. Personal contributions to discussions and any presentations given during class will also be considered.
Texts
F. De Sanctis, Storia della letteratura italiana [1870-71], various editions available. Lezioni sulla Divina Commedia, con un’appendice a cura di M. Manfredi, Bari Laterza, 1956 F. De Sanctis, Lezioni e saggi su Dante, a cura di S. Romagnoli, Torino, Einaudi, 1955 Francesco De Sanctis tra storia e memoria. Sulla Giovinezza, edizione critica di Giovanni Brancaccio, a cura di Marco Trotta, Milano, Biblion, 2020 B. Croce, La poesia di Dante., Bari, Laterza, 1921 G. Contini, Introduzione a F. De Sanctis, Scelta di scritti critici e ricordi, a cura di Gianfranco Contini, seconda edizione accresciuta, Torino, UTET, 1969 A. Gramsci, Quaderni dal carcere (in part. dal Quaderno 4), edizione cririca a cura di V. Gerratana, Torino, Einaudi, 1975 A. Gramsci, Il canto decimo dell’Inferno e altri scritti su Dante, a cura di Marco Grimaldi e Milena Russo, Roma, Castelvecchi, 2021. F. De Sanctis, History of Italian Literature [1870-71], various editions available. Lectures on the Divine Comedy, with an appendix edited by M. Manfredi, Bari Laterza, 1956 F. De Sanctis, Lectures and Essays on Dante, edited by S. Romagnoli, Turin, Einaudi, 1955 Francesco De Sanctis between History and Memory. On Youth, a critical edition by Giovanni Brancaccio, edited by Marco Trotta, Milan, Biblion, 2020 B. Croce, The Poetry of Dante., Bari, Laterza, 1921 G. Contini, Introduction to F. De Sanctis, Selection of Critical Writings and Memories, edited by Gianfranco Contini, second enlarged edition, Turin, UTET, 1969 A. Gramsci, Prison Notebooks (particularly from Notebook 4), critical edition edited by V. Gerratana, Turin, Einaudi, 1975 A. Gramsci, The Tenth Canto of the Inferno and Other Writings on Dante, edited by Marco Grimaldi and Milena Russo, Rome, Castelvecchi, 2021 Further critical contributions will be indicated and presented during the lectures.
Contents
Francesco De Sanctis, literary critic and historian of literature (with references to Benedetto Croce, Antonio Gramsci, and Gianfranco Contini)
