ITAL 214 - Italian Folklore: Goddesses, Muses, Saints, and Black Madonnas

1 unit(s)

(Same as DRAM 214 and RELI 214) This course focuses on Italian folk traditions revolving around women - saints and Madonnas. Rooted in Catholic tradition, many rituals have permeated everyday culture and social structures of belief and behavior. This course takes us on a journey through time and space, traveling through centuries and different Italian regions. The case studies vary in genre, from the literary to the visual, from the kinetic to the culinary, and include: the mysticism of Saint Catherine of Siena; Beatrice as a muse and guide in Dante’s Paradiso (The Divine Comedy); the tammuriata, a women’s drumming and dance tradition for the Black Madonna of Montevergine; the symbolism of the Virgin Mary in Siena’s Palio; women’s healing ritual of tarantismo; feminism and the Black Madonna of Trastevere in Rome. We approach the cases through the lenses of Italian Studies, Women’s Studies, Folklore, Performance Studies, and Contemplative Studies. The practical use of music, dance, drawing, journaling, and a variety of contemplative practices are part of the course. Conducted in English.

Open to sophomores, juniors, and seniors. May be counted towards the Italian major.

Two 75-minute periods.

Not offered in 2019/20.