The Southern Italian port city of Naples is home to a rich and complex history stretching back to its foundation by Greek colonists in the 8th century B.C.E. Across the centuries, Naples evolved into a vibrant cultural, political and economic center of the Mediterranean world, first as a part of Magna Gracia, and later, under successive periods of Roman, Byzantine, Norman, Angevin, and Spanish rule, on route to becoming the capital of the independent Bourbon Kingdom of the Two Sicilies in 1816. In 1861, Naples’s incorporation into the newly unified Italian nation-state as a part of the Risorgimento initiated an era of modernization and adaptation that persists to the present day. In this six-week class, we will examine la storia e tradizioni of bella Napoli—a city famously pieno di contradizione (“full of contradictions”). Aimed at students and travelers alike, the course offers a virtual “grand tour” of Naples through a close examination of a dozen Neapolitan monuments/historic sites reflective of milestones in the city’s historical development from its origins through today, including: Castel dell’ Ovo, Spaccanapoli, Università degli Studi di Napoli Federico II , Castel Nuovo, the Duomo, Santa Chiara, i musei Capodimonte e Archeologico Nazionale, Palazzo Reale, Teatro San Carlo, and the Galleria Umberto I among others (including “side visits” to the city’s best pizzerias, food stalls, pastry shops and cafes!)

Instructors: Dr. Anthony Antonucci is a global U.S. historian whose teaching and scholarship investigates the intersections of foreign relations, literary nationalism, ethno-racial formation and immigration policy in American politics and culture since 1750. Antonucci holds a PhD in U.S. History from the University of Connecticut, an M.A. in American Studies from the University of Southern Maine, and a B.A. in Political Science from Bard College. Antonucci’s scholarship has earned numerous awards, including a Fulbright IIE Research Fellowship based at the Archivio di Stato di Napoli in Italy. Dr. Hilary Haakenson earned her PhD in Renaissance Art History from Rutgers University. Her teaching interests include: social/political commitment in art, cultural myths and geographies, and the intersections between art and philosophy. Her current research examines early Italian cartography and the grand civic monuments commissioned by several maritime cities in Italy. She explores how these maps and monuments visualized the cultural encounters occurring in and around the Mediterranean Sea, and how, in turn, art shaped the contemporary European visions of the world. She has been the recipient of several awards including a Fulbright Fellowship.

Course Dates: Fridays, April 11 to May 16, 1:00 to 2:30 PM (Eastern)

Registration is required to attend, and limited space is available.

Osher Online is a shared program exclusively for members of select Osher Lifelong Learning Institutes (OLLIs). This collaboration between the Osher National Resource Center and the School of Professional Studies at Northwestern University presents lecture and discussion-style courses over four academic terms – fall, winter, spring, and summer – yearly. The purpose of Osher Online is to share quality online courses and occasional special community events with local OLLIs.