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JOHN CABOT UNIVERSITY
COURSE CODE: "AH 293"
COURSE NAME: "Modern Rome & Its Monuments (On-site; activity fee €40 or $52)"
SEMESTER & YEAR:
Spring Semester 2012
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SYLLABUS
INSTRUCTOR:
Foster Laura
EMAIL: [email protected]
HOURS:
TH 13:15-16:00
TOTAL NO. OF CONTACT HOURS:
45
CREDITS:
3
PREREQUISITES:
On-site
OFFICE HOURS:
Wednesdays 1:00-2:00 or by appointment
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COURSE DESCRIPTION:
This course will provide you with a general knowledge of the topography, urban makeup and history of modern Rome. It will also introduce different methodological tools needed to examine, evaluate and critically assess city form, design and architecture.
-how to 'read' architecture: identifying building materials & methods; elements of style & structure
-how to interpret urban space: learning and applying the vocabulary associated with architecture and urban planning
-how to express and formulate your ideas about architecture
-how to develop and substantiate arguments about architecture and the history of the city through research and writing
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SUMMARY OF COURSE CONTENT:
The urban development and
architecture of modern Rome are perhaps the least studied aspects of the city's
history. The 150th anniversary of
Italian unity, celebrated last year, and recent work on architecture under the
Fascist regime have created a new interest in Rome as a modern capital. To many
foreign visitors, however, the contemporary city is simply a frame through
which to see monuments of a glorious but distant past. This course will examine the vast
transformations in the urban and architectural development of Rome that took
place between 1870 and 1945, with special look at the new role that they city's
historic monuments, from antiquity to the 18th century, played in representing
the city as the capital of a modern nation-state and as the emblem of a new
empire under Mussolini. We will
also consider contemporary urban questions: Why has there been so little modification to the center of
Rome since the 1940s? What space
is available for new construction and how do contemporary architectural
projects relate to those of the past?
These questions and others will be explored through in-class lectures
and on-site exploration of the city.
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LEARNING OUTCOMES:
-an understanding of Italy's modern political history and the effect it had upon Rome
-a knowledge of modern archeological methods in dissecting the layers of Rome's past
-an understanding of theories of urbanism and different methodical approaches
-knowledge of architectural styles and vocabulary to discuss works
-the ability to produce formal architectural analysis and analysis of sites with relation to urban planning
-the ability to write a research paper in architectural history through a series of course assignments
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TEXTBOOK:
| Book Title | Author | Publisher | ISBN number | Library Call Number | Comments | Format | Local Bookstore | Online Purchase |
| NO TEXTBOOK REQUIRED | NONE | | NONE | | | | | |
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REQUIRED RESERVED READING:
| Book Title | Author | Publisher | ISBN number | Library Call Number | Comments |
| The Architecture of Modern Italy | Terry Kirk | Princeton Architectural Press | 9781568984384 | | Please see course schedule for reading assignments |
| Modernism in Italian Architecture | Richard Etlin | MIT Press | 0262050382 | | |
| Fascist Spectacle | Simonetta Falasca-Zamponi | University of California Press | 0520206231 | | Please see course schedule for reading assignments |
RECOMMENDED RESERVED READING:
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GRADING POLICY
-ASSESSMENT METHODS:
| Assignment | Guidelines | Weight |
| Course Attendance and Participation | Please refer to the university catalogue for the attendance and absence policy. Regular attendance and punctuality are mandatory in order to earn full marks. The final grade will take into consideration preparation required for class and participation in class discussions. The grade for class participation will be valued on a 100-point scale, with 100 representing perfect attendance and excellent class participation. | 10 |
| Midterm Examination | The midterm examination will be composed of •Slide identifications: identify name of building or space, the architect and the date constructed provided on your key monuments lists •2 slide comparisons: identify 2 buildings or spaces, their architects and dates, then compare and contrast the works in a short essay, supporting your discussion with relevant information from assigned readings and class discussion •Essay: You will have a choice of two essay topics that treat general themes discussed in the first half of the course. You will need to provide specific examples taken from works discussed in class | 25 |
| Final Examination | The format for the final exam will be the same as the midterm, with slide identifications and comparisons covering only material since the midterm. The essay questions will be on topics taken from themes discussed in the entire course. | 25 |
| Term Paper | You will produce a term paper on a specific monument or on an urban space taken from the period discussed in class. In order to assist you with the preparation of the paper (and to help prevent procrastination), the paper has been broken down into 4 parts: a formal analysis, a site analysis, research bibliography, and a research paper of approximately 10-15 pages, including corrected versions of the first 3 assignments and an essay providing historical and contextual analysis of the subject. Specific instructions on each phase of the term paper will be provided during the first course sessions. Please refer to the course outline for deadlines. | 40 |
-ASSESSMENT CRITERIA:
Assessment Guidelines for assigning main letter grades: A, B, C,D, and F.
A: Work of this quality directly addresses the question or problem raised and provides a coherent argument displaying an extensiveknowledge of relevant information or content. This type of work demonstrates the ability to critically evaluate concepts and theory and has an element of novelty and originality. There is clear evidence of a significant amount of reading beyond that required for the course.
B: This is highly competent level of performance and directly addresses the question or problem raised.
There is a demonstration of some ability to critically evaluatetheory and concepts and relate them to practice. Discussions reflect the student’s own arguments and are not simply a repetition of standard lecture andreference material. The work does not suffer from any major errors or omissions and provides evidence of reading beyond the required assignments.
C: This is an acceptable level of performance and provides answers that are clear but limited, reflecting the information offered in the lectures and reference readings.
D: This level of performances demonstrates that the student lacks a coherent grasp of the material.
Important information is omitted and irrelevant points included.In effect, the student has barely done enough to persuade the instructor that s/he should not fail.
F: This work fails to show any knowledge or understanding of the issues raised in the question. Most of the material in the answer is irrelevant.
-ATTENDANCE REQUIREMENTS:
Attendance is mandatory. Please refer to the section on attendance and class participation, as well as to the university catalogue.
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ACADEMIC HONESTY
As stated in the university catalog, any student who commits an act of academic
dishonesty will receive a failing grade on the work in which the dishonesty occurred.
In addition, acts of academic dishonesty, irrespective of the weight of the assignment,
may result in the student receiving a failing grade in the course. Instances of
academic dishonesty will be reported to the Dean of Academic Affairs. A student
who is reported twice for academic dishonesty is subject to summary dismissal from
the University. In such a case, the Academic Council will then make a recommendation
to the President, who will make the final decision.
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STUDENTS WITH LEARNING OR OTHER DISABILITIES
John Cabot University does not discriminate on the basis of disability or handicap.
Students with approved accommodations must inform their professors at the beginning
of the term. Please see the website for the complete policy.
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SCHEDULE
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| Session | Session Focus | Reading Assignment | Other Assignment | Meeting Place/Exam Dates |
| Thursday January 19 | Course introduction and lecture - Rome around 1870 | | | |
| Thursday, January 26 | The Creation of a New Capital: Expansion, infrastructure and the regulatory plans of 1883 and 1909 | *Note: Readings must be completed before the class meeting
1. Terry Kirk, The Architecture of Modern Italy: Vol. 1 The Challenge of Tradition, 1750-1900, pp. 219-259 On reserve in Frohring Library
2. Spiro Kostof, The Third Rome: 1870-1950, Traffic and Glory. Essay from museum catalogue. PDF will be made available. | | |
| Thursday, February 2 | Piazza della Repubblica, Piazza Vittorio, Via Nazionale, Monument to King Vittorio Emmanuele | Richard A. Etlin, 'A Modern Vernacular Architecture' in Modernism in Italian Architecture, 1890-1940, 129-164. On reserve in Frohring library. | | |
| Thursday, February 9 | Quartiere Prati, Palazzo della Giustizia | To be announced | | |
| Thursday February 16 | Palazzo di Montecitorio, Galleria, La Rinascente, via Veneto | Terry Kirk, The Architecture of Modern Italy. Vol. 2 Visions of Utopia, 1900 - Present, Ch. 5. On Reserve at Frohring Library | | |
| Thursday February 23 | Via delle Belle Arti, Giardino Zoologico, Ex-Birreria Peroni/MACRO, Coppedé, Villa Torlonia | | ASSIGNMENT 1 - FORMAL ANALYSIS DUE IN CLASS | |
| Thursday, March 1 | Quartiere Garbatella | Terry Kirk, The Architecture of Modern Italy. Vol. 2 Visions of Utopia, 1900 - Present, Ch. 8. On Reserve at Frohring Library | | |
| Thursday March 8 | MIDTERM EXAMINATION | | | Thursday March 8 |
| Thursday March 15 | Class Lecture: Fascism; discuss paper topics and research | Terry Kirk, The Architecture of Modern Italy. Vol. 2 Visions of Utopia,1900 - Present, Ch. 6. On reserve at Frohring Library | ASSIGNMENT 2 - SITE ANALYSIS DUE IN CLASS | |
| Thursday March 29 | Via dei Fori Imperiali, Piazza Venezia; via della Conciliazione | Terry Kirk. "Framing St. Peter's: Urban Planning in Fascist Rome." Art Bulletin 88 (4): 756-766. Article on JSTOR | | |
| Thursday April 5 | Foro Italico & Ministero degli Esteri | Simonetta Falasca-Zamponi, Fascist Spectacle, Ch. 3. On reserve in Frohring Library
D. Medina Lasansky, The Renaissance Perfected, Ch. 5 "Urban Theater: Performance, Virility and Race". On reserve in Frohring Library | ASSIGNMENT 3 - BIBLIOGRAPHY DUE IN CLASS | |
| Thursday April 12 | EUR | Giorgio Ciucci and J. Levine, 'The Classicism of the E42: Between Modernity and Tradition', Assemblage 8 (1989), 78-87 (JSTOR) | | |
| Thursday April 19 | Rome in the post war period-reconstruction, restoration, and Expansion. Example: Piazza Augusto Imperatore and the Ara Pacis Museum | To be announced | | |
| Thursday April 26 | Quartiere Flaminio: Olympic Village, Auditorium, Mosque, MAXXI | To be announced | FINAL PAPER DUE IN CLASS | |
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