Italian Program

Welcome to the Italian Program!

Benvenute, benvenuti, benventə!

All students, regardless of race, sex, color, ethnicity or national origin, who are interested in the Italian program are welcome.

The Italian program at Sacramento State offers a unique, creative, and essential curriculum in Italian language, literature, and cinema preparing students for world citizenship and a variety of careers. Our courses and extra-curricular opportunities develop foreign-language proficiency, critical thinking abilities, and the soft skills needed for intercultural negotiation and understanding.

Analyzing Italy and Italian cultures worldwide from the privileged perspective of the Sacramento region –a diplomatic, agricultural, and cultural hub where generations of Italians have been moving and thriving throughout the decades– the Italian program at Sacramento State fosters the connections between the local and the global.

Our lower division courses teach Italian culture through language, combining rigorous linguistic learning, personal expression, and cultural explorations. Check out the Catalogue for details. Opportunities for intellectual growth include: poetry reading and writing, public speaking practice, and film dubbing and subtitling.
Our upper division courses offer flexible schedules and rich insights into literary superstars and masterpieces like the wooden puppet Pinocchio, Emma Dante’s fairy tales, and films by Lina Wertmüller. Crucially, our courses do what the humanities do best: challenge students to learn more about themselves by analyzing humanity’s creations and by asking difficult questions. What does it mean to be good? What is the role of fantasy? What does it mean to be a citizen?
All our courses help students gain essential knowledge to earn a degree at Sacramento State: ITAL 1B, ITAL 2A, and ITAL 2B fulfill the Foreign Language Graduation Requirement while ITAL 1B, ITAL 104A, and ITAL 130 count as General Education courses in the arts and humanities.

The Italian program also sponsors an Italian Minor, a travel scholarship for students pursuing a Minor in Italian, study abroad programs in Italy, and extra-curricular events. The Italian program is equally proud to participate in initiatives hosted by the Department of World Languages and Literatures, such as World Languages Day.

Italian Minor

The Italian Minor is the only Minor program at Sacramento State combining a strong foundation in Italian cultures with a nuanced, critical understanding of Italy and Italian arts. The Italian Minor is also relatively short and flexible. It requires the completion of only 12 upper-division units, that is, the completion of any 4 upper-division courses among those listed below. Students are encouraged to combine an Italian Minor with any Major of their choice.

Students who obtain an Italian Minor may be employed in secondary schools and museums, teach abroad, work in translation and localization services, establish business relations at the national or international level, be admitted to graduate school. Essentially, an Italian Minor prepares students to be flexible, reliable, and resourceful world citizens.

Italian Faculty

Dr. Viola Ardeni, Program Area Head & Full-Time Faculty

Alba Boyer, Part-Time Faculty

Lorella Silvestri, Part-Time Faculty

Minor Requirements

Students must complete 4 of these courses to obtain an Italian Minor. Courses are worth 3 units each and require the prior completion of 45 units.

Upper Division Courses Conducted in English

ITAL 104A Introduction to Italian Cinema I
ITAL 104B Introduction to Italian Cinema II
ITAL 130 Italian Civilization: The Dialogue Form
ITAL 131 The Italian Renaissance and Its Influence on Western Civilization

Upper Division Courses Conducted in Italian (require intermediate Italian proficiency or ITAL 2B):

ITAL 102 Italian Advanced Conversation
ITAL 103 Advanced Grammar and Composition
ITAL 110 Introduction to Italian Literature I
ITAL 111 Introduction to Italian Literature II

Class Schedule

Spring 2025

ITAL 1A Elementary Italian - in person, MTWR 4-4:50pm, taught by Dr. Viola Ardeni
ITAL 1B Elementary Italian - in person, MW 11-11:50am and TR 10:30-11:20am, taught by Dr. Viola Ardeni
ITAL 103 Advanced Grammar and Composition - in person, TR 9-10:15am, taught by Dr. Viola Ardeni
ITAL 104A Introduction to Italian Cinema I - online, asynchronous, taught by Lorella Silvestri

Fall 2025

ITAL 1A Elementary Italian, Section 02 - in person, MTWR 12-12:50pm, taught by Dr. Viola Ardeni
ITAL 1A Elementary Italian, Section 03 - in person, MTWR 3-3:50pm, taught by Dr. Viola Ardeni
ITAL 2A Intermediate Italian - in person, MW 2-2:50pm and TR 1:30-2:20pm, taught by Dr. Viola Ardeni
ITAL 104A Introduction to Italian Cinema I - online, asynchronous, instructor TBA

The class schedule is also available here.

The Margaret E. Lavezzo Memorial Italy Travel Scholarship

This scholarship is intended to be awarded to students pursuing an Italian Minor and who are traveling to Italy for educational purposes. It was created in memory of Mrs. Margaret E. Lavezzo, member of the graduating class of 1973 with a bachelor’s degree in Anthropology, and a multiple subject credential in Education in 1993. The scholarship is awarded once a year, and the award amount is up to $2500.

Applications are due once a year in early March. To apply, see here.

Scholarship Winners (2024-2025)

Jasmine Croco
Ashlee Green

Scholarship Winners (2023-2024)

Giovanni Sciacqua

Study Abroad Programs

The Italian program encourages students to bring their knowledge to Italy, where they can put to the test what they learned on campus. Studying abroad can be the journey of a lifetime, no matter what one’s Major is in college. Sacramento State students have access to several options to study in Italy.

CSU International Programs (one-year or six-month study abroad programs):

Sacramento State Program (faculty-led, 2-week programs)

Exploring the History and Culture of Naples and Rome

Extra-Curricular Events

Our extra-curricular events connect the Italian program to the campus and the wider Sacramento community. Examples are our opera outings twice a year and Poetry for Learning, our Spring Italian poetry reading.

Poetry for Learning. An Italian Poetry Reading

At this exceptional cultural event, students offer an original public poetry performance by reading aloud their own poems, written in Italian while being enrolled in our Elementary Italian course, ITAL 1B. The performers are accompanied by a student-researcher presenting the public reading in English and offering insights on the beauty of poetry for learning.

Poetry for Learning takes place in April during the Festival of the Arts week.

Poetry for Learning in Spring 2025