Trent University - Continuing Education

Italy is one of the most appreciated countries in the world as a tourist destination. However, not many are aware of the history hidden behind each attraction. This course is designed to provide a wide knowledge about the Italian culture giving a specific attention to the art, language and a little taste of the Italian cuisine.

This week we will get to know each other by introducing ourselves to the class. It will be an introduction to the course and a review to the topics that we will cover during this course.

During this week we will discuss where Italy is situated in the world and the landscape surrounding the country. Moreover, we will embark in a journey North to South of the country to explore the main cities that attract tourists and the reason behind it.

This week we will analyze the evolution of the language from Latin to the current Italian language and also focus on the different dialects across the country. Why Italy has so many dialects? What is the meaning of having one common language? Do Italians prefer dialects or the Italian language?

Italy is a country strongly connected to Christianity and therefore churches. What are the main churches? What are their stories? We will explore the various churches that characterize Italy, the paintings and monuments decorating every one of them.

A look into the main famous Italian artists and their work. For instance, Leonardo Da Vinci, Michelangelo, Botticelli, Giotto and many others. We will discuss about their main paintings, sculptures or architectural monuments by considering the historical period and the meaning behind them.

We will talk about the broad variety of Italian food, in fact, each region is famous for a certain dish. We will discover the famous recipes in every region and the differences between them. For example, what is the different between tortellini and tortellini? What city is famous in making lasagna? What is the difference from the lasagna made in Italy and the recipes that you find online or in other part of the world, like Canada?

During this week the students will be given the opportunity to share with the class their interest towards Italian culture. They will explain what city they would like to visit and provide a reason. What would they like to try from the Italian dishes? What is the main reason why they would choose Italy as a destination?

During this last week we will summarize the main topics that we discussed in the previous weeks by sharing thoughts about the course and do some fun games.