'La Serenissima': The Myth of Venice

Subject 131-273 (2009)

Note: This is an archived Handbook entry from 2009. Search for this in the current handbook

Credit Points: 12.50
Level: 2 (Undergraduate)
Dates & Locations:

This subject is not offered in 2009.
Time Commitment: Total Time Commitment: 8.5 contact hours/week Total of 8.5 hours per week.
Prerequisites: 50 points of first year from any area within the Faculty of Arts
Corequisites: Students enrolled in this subject need to enrol concurrently in either ITAL20006 The Story of Italian: Study Abroad or ITAL30012 The Story of Italian: Study Abroad
Recommended Background Knowledge: None
Non Allowed Subjects: None
Core Participation Requirements:

For the purposes of considering request for Reasonable Adjustments under the Disability Standards for Education (Cwth 2005), and Student Support and Engagement Policy, academic requirements for this subject are articulated in the Subject Overview, Learning Outcomes, Assessment and Generic Skills sections of this entry.

It is University policy to take all reasonable steps to minimise the impact of disability upon academic study, and reasonable adjustments will be made to enhance a student's participation in the University's programs. Students who feel their disability may impact on meeting the requirements of this subject are encouraged to discuss this matter with a Faculty Student Adviser and Student Equity and Disability Support: http://services.unimelb.edu.au/disability

Contact

Dr Catherine Kovesi

c.kovesi@unimelb.edu.au

Subject Overview: This intensive four-week study abroad subject will be taught in Venice and examines in detail the many aspects of the so-called 'Myth of Venice'. The rulers of Venice in the Renaissance self-consciously fashioned their city's image and institutions as representative of the most stable and serene government in Europe. Students will examine the extensive historiography of this 'myth', the role of print media in its transmission, as well as its expression in the rituals, art and literature of the city. Students will also examine the darker consequences of prioritising stability in Venetian society including expansion onto the 'terrafirma', the Jewish ghetto, and the infamous Officers of the Night. Students will complete this subject with a deeper understanding of cultures other than their own and of ways of interpreting the past utilising a range of media.
Objectives:
  • have a rounded picture of a particular past social and cultural context which has left a profound impact upon European culture of the succeeding centuries up to our own;
  • acquire an understanding of Italian culture;
  • gain intercultural skills: possess an understanding of cultureÂ’s complexity and respect for difference and diversity
Assessment: A seminar presentation (15%) during the intensive, a journal 1,500 words (20%) due at the end of the intensive, and one research essay 2,500 words (65%) due at the end of semester one 2008.
Prescribed Texts: A subject reader will be available before the beginning of the overseas intensive
Breadth Options:

This subject potentially can be taken as a breadth subject component for the following courses:

You should visit learn more about breadth subjects and read the breadth requirements for your degree, and should discuss your choice with your student adviser, before deciding on your subjects.

Fees Information: Subject EFTSL, Level, Discipline & Census Date
Generic Skills:
  • demonstrate research skills through competent use of the library and other information sources;
  • show critical thinking and analysis through recommended reading, essay writing and tutorial discussion, and by determining the strength of an argument;
  • demonstrate understanding of social, ethical and cultural contexts;
  • demonstrate international awareness and openness to the world;
  • show awareness of new aspects of Italian culture;
  • demonstrate skills in public speaking and confidence in self-expression through seminar participation and class presentations
Notes: Special entry conditions apply. The subject dates and HECS/course fee census dates for this subject change each year. Check your enrolment record for the correct census date for this subject.
Related Course(s): Diploma in Arts (History)
Related Majors/Minors/Specialisations: History
History Major

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