Academics

Subject areas include Economics, Art History, History, Political Science, International Relations, Italian Language and Culture, Urban Studies, Sociology  and more. 

IMPORTANT: The courses listed here are typically offered each fall semester and are subject to change pending enrollment.

ROME 146 – Rome Internship Seminar – 1 Trinity credit

This course uses film as a lens to explore important topics in Contemporary Italy, such as immigration, the political climate, the mafia, unemployment, youth culture, the contemporary Italian family, and gender politics.  Through the works of important film directors like Fellini, Salvatores, Giordana, Sorrentino and other important directors, students will gain a deep understanding of the multifaceted and complex aspects of contemporary Italy and learn to critically analyze changes in society and culture through film. Prerequisite: None;  Course Trip: Bologna and Turin; Faculty: Chiara Lucarelli

ROME 224 – Art Conservation – 1 Trinity credit (NOT OFFERED FALL 2024)

An introduction to the history, theory, techniques, institutions and policies of art conservation. Students will deepen their understanding and appreciation of art by viewing masterpieces as complex, vulnerable materials that require our involvement in conservation if we are to grasp and preserve the artists’ message. We will examine firsthand outstanding examples of art conservation in several media and from different periods in history. Works may include ancient Etruscan tombs in Tarquinia, Egyptian paintings of the 3rd century, the huge Montelparo polyptych of the 15th century, Michelangelo’s frescoes in the Sistine Chapel, the Casina Pio IV (a beautiful 16th-century structure in the Vatican Gardens that has been comprehensively restored) and its stucco decorations, and gypsum casts of sculptures by Canova. We will discuss criteria and policies for selecting particular works of art for conservation (and necessarily neglecting others) when resources are scarce. We will also discuss preventive conservation, particularly the importance of environment and the ideal parameters for temperature humidity, air quality, and lighting. Slide lectures in the classroom alternate with on-site instruction at museums, monuments, and conservation workshops. Prerequisite: None: Course Trip: L’Aquila (Fall) Matera (Spring); Faculty: Giorgio Capriotti & Lorenza D’Alessandro

ROME 230 – Ancient Art of Rome – 1 Trinity credit

Art and architecture in Rome, from the Etruscan age to the late Empire. Topics include: historical context; style; iconography; building typology and techniques; sculpture; painting; the development of artistic taste; and the use of art as propaganda. Prerequisite: None; Course Trip: Naples Archeological Museum, Pompeii, and Villa Jovis (Capri). ; Faculty: Jan Gadeyne

ROME 247 – Italy’s Holocaust – 1 Trinity credit

This course will take a detailed look at the Holocaust principally from an Italian perspective. Through a combination of class lectures, on-site visits, discussions, film screenings and readings, students will be able to connect decisions taken in Fascist Italy with the end result of forced labour and mechanised killing. In doing so they will gain knowledge of pre-Fascist and Fascist Italy’s relationship with its Jewish population, the repressive nature of the dictatorship, its involvement in the Second World War and its alliance with Nazi Germany to gain a thorough grounding in how scholars have sought to explain Italy’s Holocaust. Having established the processes and practicalities by which Jews in Italy were rounded-up and deported from occupied Italy, students will reflect upon debates surrounding guilt and how this has been used to excuse or deflect responsibility for the deportation and murder of religious and political prisoners. Instruction will consist of a series of online lectures and class debates around assigned readings, film and literature. Throughout the duration of course we shall be reading and discussing Primo Levi’s account of his experience of surviving Auschwitz in If this is a Man. Providing a solid grounding in Italy’s role in the Holocaust, the course will also introduce students to how memory of this particular event has been/is constructed, used and abused for political means. Prerequisite: None; Course Trip: Bologna, Fossoli, Modena; Faculty: Simon Martin

ROME 273 – Art & Activism in Rome – 1 Trinity credit

This course is designed to introduce students to the history of the relation between art and activism both on the international and on the local level. Through a series of visits, lectures, conversations and artist’s talks students will have the possibility to connect  with the local community of art professionals and explore local artistic realities engaged in socio-political issues. The course is site-specific and community-oriented and will take the form of an open workshop, a dialogue, based on the idea of horizontal learning and the collective creation of meaning. The students will have an opportunity to interact with and learn through the practices of Rome-based curators, artists, activists and practitioners. Throughout the course the students will visit multiple sites dedicated to artistic projects that deal with socio-political themes, from both inside and outside the cultural institution. The course will address the following topics, fundamental for the contemporary creative processes that take place in the city of Rome: curatorial activism, the decolonization of the arts, institutional critique, art and feminism, the politics of representation, power and visibility, art and climate change, art and digital media. During the course the students will have a chance to meet with art workers who engage with political activism through their practice as well as get to know projects, associations, artist-run spaces and festivals, whose work and commitment promotes a kind of art that deals with socio-politics and engages with reality in a meaningful and critical manner. Prerequisite: None; Course Trip: Milan; Faculty: Anna Gorchakovskaya

ROME 340 – Michelangelo and His World – 1 Trinity credit

The life and works of Michelangelo painter, sculptor, and architect in historical context. Works include Bacchus, David, the early and late Pietà, the Sistine Chapel frescoes, the Medici Chapel, St. Peter’s dome, Moses, and the unfinished Slaves. Topics include Florence and Rome, genius and patronage, classicism and mannerism, and technique and neo-platonism. The academic excursion to Florence is an integral part of the course. The focus on Michelangelo is supplemented by contextual survey elements. The seminar component consists of reports and presentations on topics chosen in consultation with the instructor. Prerequisite: None Course Trip: Florence; Faculty: Livio Pestilli

ROME 347 – Visual World Politics – 1 Trinity credit

This course explores how the realm of international politics is visually constructed and how images, films, graffiti, sculptures, monuments, and buildings shape public perception. It uses a multidisciplinary approach and relies on cultural theory, anthropology, political science, and art theory to provide students with a theoretical framework. Case studies will focus on the functions that visual sources perform in international conflicts and in strategies addressing global challenges such as poverty, famine, human rights, refugee crises, climate change and racism. Overall, the course develops students’ analytical skills related to the critical assessment of visual information and encourages them to challenge their thoughts about factors driving world politics. Prerequisite: None; Course Trip: Brussels; Faculty: Eszter Salgó

ROME 358 – Economics of Religion – 1 Trinity Credit

The course provides deeper understanding of religious phenomena, behaviors and institutions in (post)modern societies. Economic tools of the analysis of human behavior are applied to explain individual behavior in religious contexts. Special attention will be devoted to phenomena that apparently defy the rational choice paradigm dominant in economic science, such as martyrdom. Attention will be also devoted to the impact of religious behaviors on economic performance, work ethic and market exchanges and institutions. The course offers an introduction to methods offered by economic analysis for the study of religious phenomena. The intervention of an outside speaker possibly from the Vatican with a direct expertise in financial issues will be organized. Prerequisite: C+ or better in Economics 301. Visiting Students should have completed Intermediate Microeconomics; Faculty: Fabio Padovano

ROME 370 – Urban and Global Rome – 1 Trinity credit

This is an interdisciplinary course that draws on perspectives from anthropology, sociology, political science, geography, economy and other relevant disciplines. It offers the students local perspectives on globalization as it allows global perspectives on the city of Rome. The intertwined processes of globalization and localization (“globalization”) will be addressed via an in-depth study of the city and the social, cultural, political, demographic and economic transformations Rome is currently going through. On-site visits will enable students to experience alternative settings of the “Eternal City” and give them direct contact with local inhabitants and representatives of religious/ethnic minority groups. Prerequisite: None; Course Trip: Venice; Faculty: Piero Vereni, Simone Cerulli (TA)

Subject areas include Economics, Art History, History, Political Science, International Relations, Italian Language and Culture, Urban Studies, Sociology and more. 

IMPORTANT: The courses listed here are typically offered each spring semester and are subject to change pending enrollment.

ROME 146 – Rome Internship Seminar – 1 Trinity credit

ROME 212 – Photographing Rome – 1 Trinity credit – COURSE VIDEO

ROME 217 – Contemporary Italy through Film – 1 Trinity credit – COURSE VIDEO

This course uses film as a lens to explore important topics in Contemporary Italy, such as immigration, the political climate, the mafia, unemployment, youth culture, the contemporary Italian family, and gender politics.  Through the works of important film directors like Fellini, Salvatores, Giordana, Sorrentino and other important directors, students will gain a deep understanding of the multifaceted and complex aspects of contemporary Italy and learn to critically analyze changes in society and culture through film. Prerequisite: None: Course Trip: Bologna and Turin; Faculty: Chiara Lucarelli

ROME 224 – Art Conservation – 1 Trinity credit – COURSE VIDEO

NOT OFFERED SPRING 2025

An introduction to the history, theory, techniques, institutions and policies of art conservation. Students will deepen their understanding and appreciation of art by viewing masterpieces as complex, vulnerable materials that require our involvement in conservation if we are to grasp and preserve the artists’ message. We will examine firsthand outstanding examples of art conservation in several media and from different periods in history. Works may include ancient Etruscan tombs in Tarquinia, Egyptian paintings of the 3rd century, the huge Montelparo polyptych of the 15th century, Michelangelo’s frescoes in the Sistine Chapel, the Casina Pio IV (a beautiful 16th-century structure in the Vatican Gardens that has been comprehensively restored) and its stucco decorations, and gypsum casts of sculptures by Canova. We will discuss criteria and policies for selecting particular works of art for conservation (and necessarily neglecting others) when resources are scarce. We will also discuss preventive conservation, particularly the importance of environment and the ideal parameters for temperature humidity, air quality, and lighting. Slide lectures in the classroom alternate with on-site instruction at museums, monuments, and conservation workshops. Prerequisite: None; Course Trip: L’Aquila (Fall) Matera (Spring); Faculty: Giorgio Capriotti & Lorenza D’Alessandro

ROME 247 – Italy’s Holocaust – 1 Trinity credit – COURSE VIDEO

This course will take a detailed look at the Holocaust principally from an Italian perspective. Through a combination of class lectures, on-site visits, discussions, film screenings and readings, students will be able to connect decisions taken in Fascist Italy with the end result of forced labour and mechanised killing. In doing so they will gain knowledge of pre-Fascist and Fascist Italy’s relationship with its Jewish population, the repressive nature of the dictatorship, its involvement in the Second World War and its alliance with Nazi Germany to gain a thorough grounding in how scholars have sought to explain Italy’s Holocaust. Having established the processes and practicalities by which Jews in Italy were rounded-up and deported from occupied Italy, students will reflect upon debates surrounding guilt and how this has been used to excuse or deflect responsibility for the deportation and murder of religious and political prisoners. Instruction will consist of a series of online lectures and class debates around assigned readings, film and literature. Throughout the duration of course we shall be reading and discussing Primo Levi’s account of his experience of surviving Auschwitz in If this is a Man. Providing a solid grounding in Italy’s role in the Holocaust, the course will also introduce students to how memory of this particular event has been/is constructed, used and abused for political means. Prerequisite: None; Course Trip: Bologna, Fossoli, Modena; Faculty: Simon Martin

ROME 250 – The City of Rome – 1 Trinity credit – COURSE VIDEO

We will trace the profile and examine the fabric of the Eternal City from ancient to contemporary times, from insula to borgata. We will explore the city not as a showplace of famous monuments but as a complex pattern of historical, political, and social elements that have shaped its distinctive character. Classroom lectures alternate with site visits in Rome. Assignments include readings from a variety of disciplines and field research. Prerequisite: None; Faculty: Jan Gadeyne

ROME 272 – Love and Eros in Ancient Rome – 1 Trinity credit – COURSE VIDEO

This course focuses on the role of love and sexuality in the everyday life in Ancient Rome. Exploration of selected readings (Ovid, Horace, Petronius, Catullus, Juvenal and other authors) concentrates on the representation of women, family, children and slaves during the last decades of Republican Rome and the imperial times. The questions of gender identity and views on homosexuality, prostitution, female and male seduction are considered. Finally, the course brings together instructions for finding love and love-making found in the text and the existing ancient roman topography. Prerequisite: None; Course Trip: Day trip to Hadrian’s Villa in Tivoli; Faculty: Danica Pušić

ROME 273 – Art & Activism in Rome – 1 Trinity credit

This course is designed to introduce students to the history of the relation between art and activism both on the international and on the local level. Through a series of visits, lectures, conversations and artist’s talks students will have the possibility to connect  with the local community of art professionals and explore local artistic realities engaged in socio-political issues. The course is site-specific and community-oriented and will take the form of an open workshop, a dialogue, based on the idea of horizontal learning and the collective creation of meaning. The students will have an opportunity to interact with and learn through the practices of Rome-based curators, artists, activists and practitioners. Throughout the course the students will visit multiple sites dedicated to artistic projects that deal with socio-political themes, from both inside and outside the cultural institution. The course will address the following topics, fundamental for the contemporary creative processes that take place in the city of Rome: curatorial activism, the decolonization of the arts, institutional critique, art and feminism, the politics of representation, power and visibility, art and climate change, art and digital media. During the course the students will have a chance to meet with art workers who engage with political activism through their practice as well as get to know projects, associations, artist-run spaces and festivals, whose work and commitment promotes a kind of art that deals with socio-politics and engages with reality in a meaningful and critical manner. Prerequisite: None; Course Trip: Milan; Faculty: Anna Gorchakovskaya

ROME 274 – Women in Art – 1 Trinity credit – COURSE VIDEO

The course focuses on women’s presence as artists, patrons, and subjects in the art of Rome, through major artistic periods: antiquity, Middle Ages, Renaissance, and Baroque. The richness of monuments and works of art in the Eternal City provides ample evidence for on site analysis and discussions in the light of women’s studies. The last part of the course is a monographic study of the Roman-born Baroque painter Artemisia Gentileschi. The course considers not only the life and career of this woman artist in its historical context – with direct analysis of her works in Rome and Florence, and of the archival documents concerning her life – but also the impulse the study of her experience has given to women’s studies in the field of the history of art. A final class will devote attention to women’s presence in the contemporary Roman artistic scene. Prerequisite: None: Course Trip: TBD; Faculty: Cristiana Filippini

ROME 275 – Geopolitics of the Ancient Mediterranean – 1 Trinity credit – COURSE VIDEO

This course intends to study the historical events that dramatically transformed the Mediterranean world from the “Fall of Rome” to rise of Islamic rule in the Eastern Mediterranean (3rd-8th cent. AD). It will be mainly based upon archaeological and literary sources and give the students an insight in the complex geo-political developments that redefined the political, religious, economic and cultural relations in the region, with particular regard for the events in Italy, Constantinople, Western Europe, Northern Africa and the Near East. The course will include a three day academic excursion to Milan, Brescia and Ravenna. Prerequisite: None; Course Trip: Milan, Brescia and Ravenna; Faculty: Jan Gadeyne

ROME 285 – Sports & Society in Modern Italy  – 1 Trinity credit – COURSE VIDEO

This course will examine the role of sport (with an emphasis on soccer and cycling) in Italian society from historical and contemporary perspectives. The course will consider the relationship between sports and issues such as gender, race, class, ethnicity, sexuality, nationalism, nation-building, the Italian economy, and the role of the media in order to determine how developments in sports have influenced,  and been influenced by Italian politics and society. Prerequisite: None; Course Trip: Ferrara, Bologna, Modena or Turin; Faculty: Simon Martin

ROME 327 – The European Union: History, Political Economy, and Society – 1 Trinity credit – COURSE VIDEO

This course is organized around a series of controversies regarding the European Union.  The EU has become the world’s largest market, with over 500 million people.  It is unique in world history in creating a form of government across 27 nation states without military conquest or force.  It has become an economic, diplomatic and arguably a political actor at a superpower level, though militarily it remains less important.  What is Europe exactly?  How far can it or should it expand?  Is Europe Christian, Secular, Liberal, Socialist?  Who else should join – Turkey, Russia, Israel, North African countries?  Is the European Social Model an alternative to American Free Market policies?  Can it Survive Globalization?  Can Europe replace the US a leader of the West?  How does the EU work-is it really democratic?  If so, how do the citizens of 27 countries influence their continental governmental bodies?  Who is in charge and how do the institutions of Europe work?  Is the Euro the future reserve money for the world economy, replacing the dollar? Prerequisite: None; Course Trip: Budapest; Faculty: Eszter Salgó

ROME 342 – Bernini and His World – 1 Trinity credit – COURSE VIDEO

The course will focus on the art of Gianlorenzo Bernini’s oeuvre in the context of late-sixteenth and seventeenth-century Italian art and society. Students will investigate the artistic evolution of the sculptor/architect, the influence he exerted on his contemporaries, the legacy he left to posterity, as well as the literary and biographical texts that shaped the image of the artist as we have come to know him. The weekly lectures will be complemented by weekly on-site visits to museums (such as the Borghese Gallery and the Palazzo Barberini), churches (such as Sant’ Andrea al Quirinale and St. Peter’s Basilica) and sites usually inaccessible to general visitor (such as the Oratorio del Gonfalone, the Casino Rospigliosi and the archives of the Accademia di San Luca)/ The seminar component of the course consists of reports and on-site presentations by the students.

In addition to the regular classes,  students visit the marble quarries in Carrera (from where Michelangelo and Bernini got their marble) and the Nicoli sculpture studio. While at the former site the class will be to see how marble is quarried and transported, at the latter venue students will learn about various types of marble used by artists to this day, sculpting tools and techniques, and sculpture reproduction on various scales from original plaster models.  On the way back to Rome, students will spend one night in the town of Orvieto where they will see Francesco Mochi’s famous sculpture ensemble The Archangel Gabriel and Virgin Mary as well as the impressive Baroque sculpture collection in the Church of Sant’Agostino, formerly located in the Orvieto cathedral. Prerequisite: One course in Art History; Course Trip: Carrara; Faculty: Livio Pestilli

ROME 347 – Visual World Politics – 1 Trinity credit – COURSE VIDEO

This course explores how the realm of international politics is visually constructed and how images, films, graffiti, sculptures, monuments, and buildings shape public perception. It uses a multidisciplinary approach and relies on cultural theory, anthropology, political science, and art theory to provide students with a theoretical framework. Case studies will focus on the functions that visual sources perform in international conflicts and in strategies addressing global challenges such as poverty, famine, human rights, refugee crises, climate change and racism. Overall, the course develops students’ analytical skills related to the critical assessment of visual information and encourages them to challenge their thoughts about factors driving world politics. Prerequisite: None; Course Trip: Brussels; Faculty: Eszter Salgó

ROME 358 – Economics of Religion – 1 Trinity Credit – COURSE VIDEO

The course provides deeper understanding of religious phenomena, behaviors and institutions in (post)modern societies. Economic tools of the analysis of human behavior are applied to explain individual behavior in religious contexts. Special attention will be devoted to phenomena that apparently defy the rational choice paradigm dominant in economic science, such as martyrdom. Attention will be also devoted to the impact of religious behaviors on economic performance, work ethic and market exchanges and institutions. The course offers an introduction to methods offered by economic analysis for the study of religious phenomena. The intervention of an outside speaker possibly from the Vatican with a direct expertise in financial issues will be organized. Prerequisite: C+ or better in Economics 301. Visiting Students should have completed Intermediate Microeconomics; Faculty: Fabio Padovano

ROME 370 – Urban and Global Rome – 1 Trinity credit – COURSE VIDEO

This is an interdisciplinary course that draws on perspectives from anthropology, sociology, political science, geography, economy and other relevant disciplines. It offers the students local perspectives on globalization as it allows global perspectives on the city of Rome. The intertwined processes of globalization and localization (“globalization”) will be addressed via an in-depth study of the city and the social, cultural, political, demographic and economic transformations Rome is currently going through. On-site visits will enable students to experience alternative settings of the “Eternal City” and give them direct contact with local inhabitants and representatives of religious/ethnic minority groups. Prerequisite: None; Course Trip: Venice; Faculty: Piero Vereni, Simone Cerulli (TA)

Language Courses

• All students are required to take an Italian language course in Rome*
• 1 Trinity course credit = 3.5 semester hours and 1.5 Trinity course credits = 5.25 semester hours

ROME 101 – ​Intensive Introductory Italian – 1.5 Trinity credits

A course designed to develop a basic ability to read, write, understand, and speak Italian. Prerequisite: None; Faculty: Valentina Dorato, Paolo Chirichigno, Carlotta Silvagni

ROME 102 – Advanced Introductory Italian – 1.5 Trinity credits

Continuation of 101, emphasizing conversation, consolidation of basic grammar skills, compositions, and reading comprehension. Prerequisite: Italian 101 or equivalent; Faculty: Valentina Dorato, Paolo Chirichigno, Carlotta Silvagni

ROME 201 – Intermediate Italian I: Conversation and Composition – 1 Trinity credit

A course to develop conversational and writing skills. A brief review of grammar and syntax will be followed by readings from a variety of texts to foster a solid command of the written and spoken language. Prerequisite: Italian 102 or equivalent; Faculty: TBD

ROME 202 – Intermediate Italian II: Composition and Introduction to Literary Readings – 1 Trinity credit

Practice in oral and written expression on topics in Italian culture, incorporating an introduction to literary genres (theater, poetry, and prose). Prerequisite: Italian 102 or equivalent; Faculty: TBD

ROME 299 – Italian Culture – 1 Trinity credit

Analysis and interpretation of elements of Italian culture. Topics may be drawn from literature, film, performing arts, fine arts, minor arts, anthropology, or contemporary media. Coursework is in Italian. Prerequisite: Intermediate Italian or its equivalent; Faculty: TBD

Latin and Greek Courses – Students can only enroll in 1 per semester.

ROME 410 – Intermediate Latin Tutorial – 1 Trinity credit

The program can provide instruction in Latin at various levels for students whose majors require continued study in Rome. This is an independent study typically with 1 or 2 students. Prerequisite: None; Faculty: Danica Pušić

ROME 460 – Advanced Latin Tutorial – 1 Trinity credit

The program can provide instruction in Latin at various levels for students whose majors require continued study in Rome. This is an independent study typically with 1 or 2 students. Prerequisite: None; Faculty: Danica Pušić

ROME 460 – Ancient Greek Tutorial – 1 Trinity credit

The program can provide instruction in Ancient Greek at various levels for students whose majors require continued study in Rome. This is an independent study typically with 1 or 2 students. Prerequisite: None; Faculty: Danica Pušić