FRIT to offer Discovery Seminar in winter 2024
Come meet the faculty in the Department of French & Italian, and discover what they research as well as what you can learn as a major or minor in French and/or Italian here at UCSB!
"Croissants & Cappuccinos: Cultural Exchanges between France & Italy"
INT 87AJ, Winter 2024, Wednesdays, 5-6:50pm, Arts 1353
Of all the European nations, Italy and France are clearly those whose cultures and histories are the most closely intertwined. Theirs are entangled stories of empires, rebellions, religions, nation-states, languages, literatures, art, cuisine, and more—stories that have been the backdrop to some of the most important events in world history.
From Paris to Rome, Napoléon to Mussolini, gli Azzurri to Les Bleus, croissants to cappuccinos, this interdisciplinary course offers a broad-based introduction to the cultural and historical relationship between France and Italy. It highlights the differences that have existed and still exist between the French and the Italians, and at the same time, spotlights the many values, practices, and ways of life they have in common. Our comparative study of France and Italy offers a view into what makes both of these countries unique in our present day. We explore the reasons why both have become so captivating that they are the only two countries in the world that attract more tourists than inhabitants. Over the centuries, France and Italy have had turbulent political and military relations, but they have also been increasingly interwoven culturally, with shared tastes in art, music, food… and soccer. Therefore, the proximity of France and Italy has not led to a rivalry, but rather to a kind of mutual esteem and even friendship.