Italy, as a united and independent state, came into existence in 1861, but prior to that a sense of being Italian was evident in some of the writings of Italy's foremost intellectuals.Whether these writers created in their readers a sense of being Italian and to what extent, even today, Italians prioritise a sense of 'Italian-ness' has been and continues to be the subject of much debate. This module will focus on three crucial aspects of 'Italian-ness', leading to the creation of modern Italy: - the emergence of Italian as a regional (Tuscan) dialect which became, first a literary standard, and much later, an all-purpose spoken language - an introduction to the literature of Italy's Medieval and Renaissance periods, focussing on extracts from the works of Dante, Machiavelli, Ariosto and Boccaccio and their enduring popularity and influence - the process of Unification and its ensuing problems (including the rise of Fascism), as well as an overview of key Italian literary movements of the 20th century with a particular focus on one short story. Attendance and participation count for 5% of this module, and non-attendance is penalised on a pro-rata basis. Teaching is in the form of weekly lectures and seminars. Assessment is by means of a short essay in week 5, which relates to the first block of the module, and a 2-hour examination (based on essay-type questions) relating to the second and third blocks at the end of the second semester.