This course provides a review of modern and contemporary Italian history from the end of the Napoleonic wars up to the present day.

The first part of the course will cover the Risorgimento and the movement towards national unity as well as the impact of the First World War and Fascism.

The second part of the course will focus on World War II and the postwar republican era. The aim is to offer the student both a complete introduction to Italian history and a familiarization with the issues and themes of contemporary Italian history.

The course pursues these goals through lectures, readings, site trips, films and discussions. Some general texts offers a background on the historical development of towns while other readings will offer a choice of interpretations of actual cities and of their representations.