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2025-2026 / LROM0060-1

Commentary on Italian authors

Duration

30h Th

Number of credits

 Bachelor in modern languages and literatures : general5 crédits 
 Master in multilingual communication, professional focus in language and culture5 crédits 

Lecturer

Hélène Miesse

Language(s) of instruction

Italian language

Organisation and examination

Teaching in the first semester, review in January

Schedule

Schedule online

Units courses prerequisite and corequisite

Prerequisite or corequisite units are presented within each program

Learning unit contents

The course aims to equip students with the necessary tools for a deep understanding of Petrarch's texts.

It meets several objectives:

  • Introduce a major author from the Italian literary tradition
  • Demonstrate why he has entered history
  • Explain how he contributes to the concept of the "Europe of cultures" (Boillet)
  • Encourage reflection on the different translations of the same text.

Learning outcomes of the learning unit

By the end of the course, the student will be able to:

  • Trace Petrarch's biography, situate the author in space and time/in literary history.;
  • Cite Petrarch's main works, both literary and non-literary, provide brief summaries, explain their titles, and place them within the author's overall production;
  • Clarify what links or distinguishes Petrarch from his predecessors (e.g., Stilnovists, Dante), contemporaries (e.g., Boccaccio) and successors ;
  • Highlight the innovative aspects of the author's life, behavior, and works;
  • Identify the linguistic and literary characteristics of the author's work in a text studied in class or read at home;
  • Explain Petrarch's legacy by citing examples;
  • Define the forms/genres/movements covered in the course (e.g., lyricism, humanism, Petrarchism);
  • Describe and comment on the French translation of a Petrarch poem.



 

 

Prerequisite knowledge and skills

Good proficiency in both written and spoken Italian.

Planned learning activities and teaching methods

Varied methodology: ex-cathedra lectures, individual and group work, interactive sessions.

Some of the work is to be carried out independently (consulting the biography, reading articles, preparing an oral presentation of a poem analysis).

Two types of complementary activities are offered to students:

  • One hour of weekly conversation, led by the Italian language assistant, aimed at strengthening language skills

  • A variety of cultural activities (theatre and opera outings, film screenings, lectures)

Organizational details will be communicated to students in due course.


 

Mode of delivery (face to face, distance learning, hybrid learning)

Face-to-face course


Additional information:

Course taught in Italian.

Course materials and recommended or required readings

Platform(s) used for course materials:
- eCampus


Further information:

Lecture notes provided by the Professor and available on eCampus.

Compulsory reading:

- Pétrarque, Le Chansonnier (Canzoniere), éd./trad. P. Blanc, Paris, Classiques Garnier, 2020².

Exam(s) in session

Any session

- In-person

oral exam

Written work / report


Further information:

Oral exam in Italian (or French for Italians).



The final grade will be based on:

  • The mark obtained for an oral presentation of a poem analysis prepared at home, and the creation of a written support (20%)

  • The mark obtained in the oral exam (analysis of a text by Petrarch / Petrarchist poet / of a translation, comprehension questions - 80%)

Language proficiency (pronunciation, grammatical accuracy, lexical range and precision, fluency) may increase or decrease the final mark by up to 1 point out of 20.

Work placement(s)

Organisational remarks and main changes to the course

This cours will be taught in Italian.

Contacts

Hélène MIESSE, Chargée de cours
Bureau A2/4/6
E-mail: helene.miesse@uliege.be

Secrétariat
Ariane NÜSGENS
Tél. 04 366 56 50

Association of one or more MOOCs