This session - conducted entirely in Italian - is the first part of an introduction to the Divine Comedy. The first session introduces you to Dante's life, his political and philosophical views and gives an overview of the structure of the poem. We will devote the following three sessions (from January onwards) to reading, analysing and commenting on a selection of cantos. Please note that the selection of the cantos read in t...
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Reading Dante's Divine Comedy in Italian can be very confusing as it is an extremely complex poem. This lecture will touch on the main characteristics of the poem, providing the reader with the basic background knowledge: Dante's politics, his theological beliefs and some of the key features of the work. Please note that the selection of the cantos read in the following sessions will be different from that of previous years, so you are welcome to re-enrol even if you have attended before.
What will we cover?
In this session we will give a brief overview of:
- The political background and Dante’s exile as a result of his political views; - The philosophical and theological framework behind the Divine Comedy; - Dante’s beliefs and knowledge.
What will I achieve? By the end of this course you should be able to...
1. Have an understanding of the main political factions in Florence during Dante's life 2. Better understand the structure of the poem 3. Give an example of how Dante detaches himself from the beliefs and knowledge of his time.
What level is the course and do I need any particular skills?
This lecture will be conducted in Italian and is therefore aimed at those of you with an advanced level of the language. It is suitable if you are attending Italian 4 or 5 at City Lit or have an equivalent level.
For further details of the specific foreign language skills required for this level, please see the languages self assessment chart.
How will I be taught, and will there be any work outside the class?
This is a lecture and is therefore mainly tutor-led, with plenty of opportunities to ask questions. An illustrated presentation will accompany the lecture.
Are there any other costs? Is there anything I need to bring?
No other cost. Students will just need to bring writing material.
When I've finished, what course can I do next?
This introduction will be followed by three sessions devoted to the three parts of the poem: Inferno (LNW42), Purgatorio (LNW12) and Paradiso (LNW13). See the website for details.
Francesco has taught Italian language classes and literature at City Lit since 2014. He also works as Head of the Classics Department. After graduating with honours in Modern Languages and Literatures (English, German and Serbo-Croat), he moved to London and started teaching Italian at various adult education colleges, which gave him the opportunity to share his interest in Italian language, culture and traditions to a diverse range of students. During this time, he also acquired experience in curriculum management. Francesco currently prepares students for Italian exams. His passion includes philology, Dante, early Italian literature and the history of Italy (primarily the Northeast, where he grew up and was educated).
Please note: We reserve the right to change our tutors from those advertised. This happens rarely, but if it does, we are unable to refund fees due to this. Our tutors may have different teaching styles; however we guarantee a consistent quality of teaching in all our courses.
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https://www.citylit.ac.uk/una-stagione-con-dante-introduzione1179070Una stagione con Dante: introduzionehttps://www.citylit.ac.uk/media/catalog/category/italian-4-lingua-e-cultura-ln454.jpg2929GBPInStock/Courses/Courses/Languages/Courses/Languages/European/Courses/Languages/European/Italian/Courses/Online courses228512801281128917311228512801281This session - conducted entirely in Italian - is the first part of an introduction to the Divine Comedy. The first session introduces you to Dante's life, his political and philosophical views and gives an overview of the structure of the poem. We will devote the following three sessions (from January onwards) to reading, analysing and commenting on a selection of cantos. Please note that the selection of the cantos read in the following sessions will be different from that of previous years, so you are welcome to re-enrol even if you have attended before.003033373Una stagione con Dante: introduzione2929https://www.citylit.ac.uk/media/catalog/category/italian-4-lingua-e-cultura-ln454.jpgInStockEveningWedOnlineAvailable coursesOne-off onlyWeekday2026-12-02T00:00:00+00:00AdvancedDec 2026LanguagesLNW412929Una stagione con Dante: introduzione291929Francesco Buccioluna-stagione-con-dante-introduzione/lnw41-2627This session - conducted entirely in Italian - is the first part of an introduction to the Divine Comedy. The first session introduces you to Dante's life, his political and philosophical views and gives an overview of the structure of the poem. We will devote the following three sessions (from January onwards) to reading, analysing and commenting on a selection of cantos. Please note that the selection of the cantos read in the following sessions will be different from that of previous years, so you are welcome to re-enrol even if you have attended before.0000-Available|2026-12-02 00:00:00Reading Dante's Divine Comedy in Italian can be very confusing as it is an extremely complex poem. This lecture will touch on the main characteristics of the poem, providing the reader with the basic background knowledge: Dante's politics, his theological beliefs and some of the key features of the work. Please note that the selection of the cantos read in the following sessions will be different from that of previous years, so you are welcome to re-enrol even if you have attended before.This session - conducted entirely in Italian - is the first part of an introduction to the Divine Comedy. The first session introduces you to Dante's life, his political and philosophical views and gives an overview of the structure of the poem. We will devote the following three sessions (from January onwards) to reading, analysing and commenting on a selection of cantos. Please note that the selection of the cantos read in the following sessions will be different from that of previous years, so you are welcome to re-enrol even if you have attended before.In this session we will give a brief overview of:<br><br>- The political background and Dante’s exile as a result of his political views;<br>- The philosophical and theological framework behind the Divine Comedy;<br>- Dante’s beliefs and knowledge.1. Have an understanding of the main political factions in Florence during Dante's life<br>2. Better understand the structure of the poem <br>3. Give an example of how Dante detaches himself from the beliefs and knowledge of his time.<p>This lecture will be conducted in Italian and is therefore aimed at those of you with an advanced level of the language. It is suitable if you are attending Italian 4 or 5 at City Lit or have an equivalent level.</p><p>For further details of the specific foreign language skills required for this level, please see the languages <a href="https://www.citylit.ac.uk/self-assess-your-level" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">self assessment chart.</a></p>This is a lecture and is therefore mainly tutor-led, with plenty of opportunities to ask questions. An illustrated presentation will accompany the lecture.No other cost. Students will just need to bring writing material.This introduction will be followed by three sessions devoted to the three parts of the poem: Inferno (LNW42), Purgatorio (LNW12) and Paradiso (LNW13). See the website for details.EuropeanItalianvirtual292919LNW41NONEWed02/12/2618:00 - 20:0018:0020:001 session1One-off onlyWeekdayOnlineOnlineFrancesco BucciolAdvancedAvailable courses2026-12-02T00:00:00+00:00EveningDec 2026Languages2929Una stagione con Dante: introduzioneuna-stagione-con-dante-introduzione/lnw41-2627This session - conducted entirely in Italian - is the first part of an introduction to the Divine Comedy. The first session introduces you to Dante's life, his political and philosophical views and gives an overview of the structure of the poem. We will devote the following three sessions (from January onwards) to reading, analysing and commenting on a selection of cantos. Please note that the selection of the cantos read in the following sessions will be different from that of previous years, so you are welcome to re-enrol even if you have attended before.0000-Available|2026-12-02 00:00:00Reading Dante's Divine Comedy in Italian can be very confusing as it is an extremely complex poem. This lecture will touch on the main characteristics of the poem, providing the reader with the basic background knowledge: Dante's politics, his theological beliefs and some of the key features of the work. Please note that the selection of the cantos read in the following sessions will be different from that of previous years, so you are welcome to re-enrol even if you have attended before.This session - conducted entirely in Italian - is the first part of an introduction to the Divine Comedy. The first session introduces you to Dante's life, his political and philosophical views and gives an overview of the structure of the poem. We will devote the following three sessions (from January onwards) to reading, analysing and commenting on a selection of cantos. Please note that the selection of the cantos read in the following sessions will be different from that of previous years, so you are welcome to re-enrol even if you have attended before.In this session we will give a brief overview of:<br><br>- The political background and Dante’s exile as a result of his political views;<br>- The philosophical and theological framework behind the Divine Comedy;<br>- Dante’s beliefs and knowledge.1. Have an understanding of the main political factions in Florence during Dante's life<br>2. Better understand the structure of the poem <br>3. Give an example of how Dante detaches himself from the beliefs and knowledge of his time.<p>This lecture will be conducted in Italian and is therefore aimed at those of you with an advanced level of the language. It is suitable if you are attending Italian 4 or 5 at City Lit or have an equivalent level.</p><p>For further details of the specific foreign language skills required for this level, please see the languages <a href="https://www.citylit.ac.uk/self-assess-your-level" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">self assessment chart.</a></p>This is a lecture and is therefore mainly tutor-led, with plenty of opportunities to ask questions. An illustrated presentation will accompany the lecture.No other cost. Students will just need to bring writing material.This introduction will be followed by three sessions devoted to the three parts of the poem: Inferno (LNW42), Purgatorio (LNW12) and Paradiso (LNW13). See the website for details.EuropeanItalianconfigurable
