Italian Studies
Among the leading programs of its kind in Australia, Italian Studies at the University of Melbourne is also one of the longest running.
We’re passionate about fostering and sharing the knowledge of Italian culture and histories.
We do this through research and teaching in many aspects of Italian language and culture, and by engaging with Australian and international partners and audiences.
Our areas of specialty include language acquisition and linguistics, twentieth-century and contemporary literature and theatre, translation studies, postcolonial literature, Renaissance and Dante studies, film and cultural studies
Italian event recordings
Allegory, Drama and Spiritual Practice in Counter-Reformation Italy
Italian Seminar Series 2021
A talk by Associate Professor Eugenio Refini, New York University
Dante, Culture and the People
Italian Seminar Series 2021 – 700 years of Dante Alighieri
A talk by Emeritus Professor Lino Pertile, Harvard University
28 May 2021
Explore our research
We have research strengths in languages studies, medieval and renaissance studies, literature studies, cultural studies and teaching and learning in higher education.
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Transcultural trajectories in Italian Theatre
This project studies how the collective re-writing and mise en scène of plays by theatre companies and migrants facilitate inclusion and enhance new forms of belonging.
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Trust and Cultural Exchange
The Trust and Cultural Exchange project brings together 15 academics from a variety of Schools and Faculties to explore theory and practices of trust across history and cultures.
Study with us
Advance your understanding of Italian language and culture by studying:
- Diploma of Languages (Italian) alongside any other University of Melbourne degree
- Graduate Diploma in Arts
- Single Breadth subjects
- Bachelor of Arts Italian Studies (major or minor)
- Bachelor of Arts (Degree with Honours)
- Master of Arts (Thesis Only)
- Master of Arts (Advanced Seminar and Shorter Thesis)
- Doctor of Philosophy – Arts
Students links
- Download our Italian Studies VCE kit for high school students and teachers
- Find out which undergraduate level you should enrol in – beginner, intermediate or advanced – by taking our online language placement test
- For students wishing to undertake part of their studies at an overseas institutions see our Outbound Exchange opportunities
- For students of all levels, please explore our range of scholarships and prizes
Learn about the Italian Studies Trust
The Italian Studies Trust Fund supports scholarship, fellowship, community education and public engagement at the University of Melbourne, as well as additional teaching positions to expand our range of activities.
Find out how you can help us enrich and enhance our student exchange opportunities, post-doctoral fellowships, research initiatives and more.
Meet our Italian Studies staff
Our academics are leading teachers, researchers and industry professionals.
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Professor John Hajek
Professor of Italian Studies, Convenor, Italian studies
Phone: +61383445168
Email: j.hajek@unimelb.edu.au -
Mr Matt Absalom
Lecturer in Italian Studies
Phone: +61383446986
Email: mabsalom@unimelb.edu.au -
Dr Malcolm Angelucci
Lecturer in Italian studies
Phone: +61383449404
Email: malcolm.angelucci@unimelb.edu.au -
Antonella Cavallini
Lecturer in Italian Studies - Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Fellow
Phone: +61383441942
Email: antonella.cavallini@unimelb.edu.au -
Ms Elisabetta Ferrari
Senior Tutor in Italian Studies
Phone: +61383445177
Email: eferrari@unimelb.edu.au -
Dr Vita Giordano
Lecturer in Italian Studies
Phone: +61383447666
Email: vita@unimelb.edu.au -
Dr Laura Lori
Melbourne ACIS Postdoctoral Fellow
Phone: +61390357733
Email: laura.lori@unimelb.edu.au -
Associate Professor Andrea Rizzi
Cassamarca Associate Professor of Italian Studies
Phone: +61383446984
Email: arizzi@unimelb.edu.au -
Dr Simon West
Senior Tutor in Italian Studies
Email: simon.west@unimelb.edu.au