The Cradle of the Italian Language

A five-week course with Renato Ammannati. Wednesday afternoons 2.00 - 4.00 p.m. 7th October - 4th November 2026 Booking will close on Friday 2nd October 2026 at 12 noon. Due to limited resources, we are UNABLE TO ACCEPT LATE BOOKINGS after this date. Wednesday afternoons 2.00 - 4.00 p.m. for five weeks, 7th October to 4th November 2026. The Cradle of the Italian Language When discussing the Italian language, it is impossible not to mention the Florentine dialect. More than just a dialect, Florentine represents a true linguistic root from which modern Italian developed. But what makes it so special? Florentine owes its fame above all to three great authors of the 14th century: Dante, Petrarch and Boccaccio. Their works, written in the Florentine vernacular, helped elevate this local variant to a linguistic model for the entire peninsula. However, the path towards a shared language was not immediate. It was only from the second half of the 19th century that writers, intellectuals and men of letters began to adopt the Tuscan model more systematically. The course provides an introduction to the history of the Italian language, starting with the Tuscan dialect and its evolution into its present day version. Tutor: Renato Ammannati Renato studied architecture, urban planning and theology in Rome. A member of the Vatican Commission for the Preservation of Monuments and Works of Art, he worked in Italy and the Vatican State for a number of years. In 2001 he published his first book: 'Apocalisse. Le cose che stanno per accadere. Linearita e reversibilita del tempo nell’ Apocalisse di Giovanni', and in 2010, 'Rivelazione e Storia'; both anthropological analyses of the Book of Revelations. Since 2012 Renato has given continuing education classes on Italian culture, history and art at the University of Dundee. Course code: 10 112 Enquiries should be sent to: [email protected] As a volunteer organisation with limited resources, we try to respond to queries as quickly as possible. Please bear with us.