News

The D.S.U. of the University of Roma Tre, in collaboration with the Notre Dame Rome Global Gateway and Center for Italian Studies and the Centro Pio Rajna, is delighted to renew its annual seminar dedicated to Francesco Petrarca. Paper proposals, accompanied by a title, an abstract (max 750 characters) and a short bio-bibliographical profile (max 500 characters), should be sent to paolo.rigo@uniroma3.it by January 31, 2020. Materials should be sent together in a single pdf file, entitled “Surname_Title”; please send emails with the subject heading: “CFP Laureatus in Urbe.”

Read More about CFP: Laureatus in Urbe IV (Rome, 27-29 May 2020)

Much medieval Italian art from the 13th century is focused on Christianity — paintings and sculptures depicting Jesus, the Virgin Mary, saints, or other Biblical scenes. But murals that were hidden for hundreds of years under layers of whitewash at the Santi Quattro Coronati monastery in Rome are different — in addition to religious iconography, they also depict secular knowledge. Notre Dame art historian Marius Hauknes is fascinated by the significant shift implied by the newly discovered paintings, and he’s spending this year writing a book on the subject after winning a fellowship from the Institute for Advanced Study in Princeton, New Jersey.

Read More about Art historian researches the significance of long-lost Italian murals during yearlong fellowship at the Institute for Advanced Study

Given Italy is prone to seismic activity, determining how to prioritize the protection of buildings can be complicated. Notre Dame researchers are helping Italian dioceses tackle this problem by completing a seismic risk assessment of 72 churches, some of which are thousand of years old, throughout the country.

Read More about A Future for the Past: Notre Dame researchers help Italian church communities address seismic risks

Since 2016, with the introduction of the Italian spring music concert, the Italian Studies program at Notre Dame has explored the power of music and performance as pedagogical tools in the foreign language classroom. This year’s concert, “Mediterranean Sì. Italianità in Italy and the World,” will take place in the Leighton Concert Hall on Friday, April 24th in conjunction with the conference. All conference presenters and attendees will be invited as special guests to this evening of Italian music and performance. We welcome proposals for 20-minute individual or group presentations, round table discussions or panel proposals. The deadline for submissions is 10 December 2019. Please send a 200-word abstract and a short bio to the following email address: kboyle6@nd.edu. Notifications regarding accepted proposals will be communicated by 31 December 2019. Questions may also be directed to Katie Boyle (kboyle6@nd.edu).

Read More about Call for papers: “Set to music: Music and Performance as a Pedagogical Tool in the Foreign Language and Culture Classroom”

The Rome Global Gateway is glad to announce the opening of the application process for the Rome Seminar 2020 which will take place from June 10 to July 5th, 2020. Participants at the Vatican Library Every summer since 2011, the Rome gateway has hosted this unique research opportunity for graduate students. This year the seminar was made possible by generous support from  Stanford University…

Read More about Applications Open for Rome Seminar 2020

The Rome Global Gateway and the Center for Italian Studies have started a collaboration to enrich the Rome library collection during the academic year 2018-2019. Due to last year’s success, the collaboration was extended to the current academic year 2019-2020. The first project in this collaboration will involve the acquisition of a collection of Italian literature from its origins in the XIII…

Read More about The Rome Gateway and the Center for Italian Studies to Collaborate on Enriching the Rome Library Italian Literature Collection

The University of Notre Dame's Study Abroad Office, a part of Notre Dame International, administers several different programs in Italy. David Younger, Associate Director of Study Abroad, manages the University's Italian study abroad programs, including four semester-length programs and one summer program in Rome and one in Bologna, offered both for the academic year and in the Fall and Spring semesters. Find out more!

Read More about Notre Dame offers several opportunities to study abroad in Italy

Two new Notre Dame International grants have been created through generous University benefactors, including the Italian Studies Library Research Award.

Read More about Notre Dame International introduces two new faculty research grants for 2019-2020

Between February 2018 and June 2019, the Devers Series in Dante and Medieval Italian Literature saw the publication of four new books on topics ranging from the reception of Dante's Beatrice and the early modern impact of Boccaccio's works to a critical edition of an Italian version of the Meditations on the Life of Christ and a in-depth study of how medieval ideas of the body and gender inspired Boccaccio’s vernacular and Latin writings.

Read More about 2018-19 titles in The Devers Series in Dante and Medieval Italian Literature

Dr. Meredith Chesson recording a late 19th/early 20th century aquaduct in the San Pasquale Valley, Calabria, Italy (2015 season) | Photo: Nicholas Ames Meredith Chesson, a Nanovic Institute Faculty Fellow and Associate Professor in the Department of Anthropology at Notre Dame, recently published an article in the latest volume of the Journal of Mediterranean Archaeology…

Read More about Faculty Research Spotlight: Meredith Chesson

Professor Zygmunt G. Barański was recently interviewed by the major Italian daily newspaper, Corriere della Sera.

Read More about Notre Dame Professor advocates for Italian "Dante Day" in Interview with Corriere della Sera

With the kind collaboration of the Biblioteca Apostolica Vaticana (BAV), the University of Notre Dame offers its Winter School in Latin Paleography and Codicology at its Rome Global Gateway. The school will be held 7–17 January 2020 in Rome, Italy / Città del Vaticano. The application deadline is 23 September 2019. All questions may be directed to: Dr. David T. Gura, Curator, Ancient and Medieval Manuscripts, University of Notre Dame (dgura@nd.edu).

Read More about Winter School in Latin Paleography and Codicology [Updated application and paymentdeadlines]

Rose Luminiello (University of Aberdeen) will conduct archival research for the project, “Irish Religious Women in the Anglophone World, 1840–1950.”

Read More about Cushwa cosponsors postdoctoral fellowship for research based in Aberdeen, Dublin, and Rome

The Department of Rare Books and Special Collections has recently acquired Epistole et euangeli et letioni volgari in lingua toscana, Florence: Bernardo Giunta, 1546, a vernacular edition of liturgical readings from the epistles and the gospels embellished with 151 woodcuts. With the acquisition of this copy, Rare Books and Special Collections is the only holder in the United States of a copy from the seminal 1546 edition. Only two other copies from this edition are known, now found at the Biblioteca Apostolica Vaticana and the Biblioteca Casanatense in Rome.

Read More about New Library acquisition: Epistole et euangeli et letioni volgari in lingua toscana

The Center for Italian Studies is now accepting applications for two awards that facilitate research in Italy and at the Rome Global Gateway. The Jay A. and Sara L. Sellick Endowment for Excellence in Italian Studies, in memory of John A. ('53) and Juli Ann Sellick provides support of up to $2,000 for undergraduate, graduate student, and faculty research and travel to Italy and the Rome Global Gateway. Click here to download the application. …

Read More about Now accepting applications for fellowships for short-term research in Italy

Gianna Van Heel’s time studying abroad while at Notre Dame was immersive and comprehensive — the nearly yearlong experience included coursework, research, an internship, and embracing the Italian way of life. She knew it was the best way to truly learn another language. Van Heel, who won the College of Arts and Letters’ Robert D. Nuner Award for the language major with the highest GPA, studied Dante during her time abroad and was captivated by his writing. 

Read More about Year abroad helps Italian major develop language skills, discover senior thesis topic, and strengthen connection to family heritage

The Spring 2019 Lingua Italica Italian Studies Newsletter is now online. For information about news items or to suggest a topic, please contact Prof. Katie Boyle.

Read More about Spring 2019 Newsletter

The Center for Italian Studies is pleased to announce the receipt of a gift: the Jay A. and Sara L. Sellick Endowment for Excellence in Italian Studies, in memory of John A. ('53) and Juli Ann Sellick...

Read More about New Endowment to Support Research in Italy

Special collections has purchased a fine copy of the first 1826 printing of Giacomo Leopardi’s extremely influential commentary on Petrarch's Canzoniere, which was reprinted in twenty variant editions over the next fifty years.

Read More about New Library acquisition: Rime di Francesco Petrarca colla interpretazione composta dal conte Giacomo Leopardi

The Fondazione Giorgio Cini in Venice has announced new residential scholarships this year.

Read More about Residential scholarships at the Fondazione Giorgio Cini in Venice