Explore UCD

UCD Home >

ITAL30350

Academic Year 2026/2027

Italy and the Mediterranean (ITAL30350)

Subject:
Italian
College:
Arts & Humanities
School:
Languages, Cultures & Linguis
Level:
3 (Degree)
Credits:
5
Module Coordinator:
Dr Serena Laiena
Trimester:
Spring
Mode of Delivery:
On Campus
Internship Module:
No
How will I be graded?
Letter grades

Curricular information is subject to change.

The module will offer an overview of the main events in the political, cultural, and literary history of Italy between the end of the Middle Ages and the Early Modern period (c. 1350–1800). Particular emphasis will be placed on the relationship between the Italian Peninsula and the Mediterranean world; on the transnational factors that influence Italian life and literary production; and on the relationship between history and literature.

About this Module

Learning Outcomes:

Students will learn:
• The main events in Italian political history between the end of the Middle Ages and the Early Modern period (c. 1450–1800);
• The main cultural and literary movements that animated this period;
• The relationship between Italy and other Mediterranean territories, from both a political and cultural perspective;
• Some significant examples of how literature reflects this historical period.

Indicative Module Content:

Main readings:
• Italy in the Age of the Renaissance: 1300-1550 (Short Oxford History of Italy)
• Early Modern Italy: 1550-1796 (Short Oxford History of Italy)

The United Nations identified seventeen Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) as core to the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, and UCD contributes in general to SDG 4 Quality Education. Further SDGs explored within this module if relevant are listed below. A scale of 1 - 5 indicates the extent to which the SDG is covered.


 

Student Effort Hours:
Student Effort Type Hours
Specified Learning Activities

32
Autonomous Student Learning

56
Lectures

12
Seminar (or Webinar)

12
Total

112

Approaches to Teaching and Learning:
The module will focus on enabling students to acquire skills in reading and analysing both modern secondary scholarly sources and primary sources in translation. This will be promoted through lectures on Italian history, seminar discussions on literary sources and an appropriate range of assessments that will develop students’ writing skills (in-class test), accuracy (online test) and oral presentations (narrated powerpoint).

Requirements, Exclusions and Recommendations
Learning Requirements:

No prior requirements. Core texts are in translation.


Module Requisites and Incompatibles
Not applicable to this module.
 

Assessment Strategy
Description Timing Component Scale Must Pass Component % of Final Grade In Module Component Repeat Offered
Assignment(Including Essay): Narrated Presentation Week 14 Alternative linear conversion grade scale 40% No
40
 No
Exam (In-person): In-class test Week 7 Alternative linear conversion grade scale 40% No
30
 No
Quizzes/Short Exercises: In-class Quiz Week 12 Alternative linear conversion grade scale 40% No
30
 No

As part of UCD's student support, under the Additional Consideration policy, extensions may be available for the following assessments in the module: Assignment (including essay/poster), Portfolio, Reflective Assignment, Report(s), and Individual Project.


Carry forward of passed components
No
 

Resit In Terminal Exam
Autumn No
Please see Student Jargon Buster for more information about remediation types and timing. 

Feedback Strategy/Strategies

• Feedback individually to students, post-assessment
• Group/class feedback, post-assessment

How will my Feedback be Delivered?

Students will receive individual written feedback on their assignments and class tests. Feedback will normally be given one week after the submission of the assignments and class tests.

Timetabling information is displayed only for guidance purposes, relates to the current Academic Year only and is subject to change.
Spring Seminar Offering 1 Week(s) - 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33 Tues 14:00 - 14:50
Spring Seminar Offering 1 Week(s) - 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33 Wed 14:00 - 14:50
Print this page
Fill in the following details:
Enter the body of your query here.

From time to time UCD would like to send you further information that we feel, based on your enquiry, would be of interest to you.