Spring Term 2012

Course Details

You asked for it, and we've created it!  Running from May 5-31, 2012, the new Spring term is ideal for students in programs that don't allow them to go abroad in the Fall or Winter.  And, for the first time, we're pleased to offer a course from outside the Faculty of Arts.  Students from all Faculties and programs are welcome to register for ALES 291 or ART H 211/311. 

ALES 291: The Mythical, Agricultural and Nutritional Origins of the Mediterranean Diet is perfect for anyone interested in nutrition and the health benefits of this rich and ancient diet.  Cortona is in a central agricultural region in Tuscany, and students will be able take full advantage of the location.  In addition to regular scheduled classes, you will visit wheat and olive farms, as well as dairy farms that produce the famous water buffalo mozzarella also known as bocconcini (amongst other products).  You will learn more about the indigenous herbs and trees unique to Tuscany and visit shops and small industries that have utilized them for generations.  And, of course, you cannot leave Tuscany without visiting the wineries.  You will learn more about the vineyards and how they have grown grapes for centuries as well as the wine making process.

Your instructor, Dr. Dean Spaner, is a popular member of the of the Department of Agricultural, Food and Nutritional Sciences with many years of experience in the area of crop science.   Please see our Faculty and Staff section for more information about Dean.

This course will count as a free elective for all students in Agricultural, Life and Environmental Sciences.  As well, if you are in the Faculty of Arts, you can count this as a Non-Arts/Science option (you are allowed *18 in the BA General degree program).  Students in all other programs are encouraged to speak with their advisor to see how ALES 291 will count towards their degree.

ART H 211/311: Bodies, Sex and Death in Early Modern Italy will appeal to anyone interested in the human body.  Being an Art History course, the focus will be on the representations of the body from 1350-1750, with a focus on the rituals surrounding pregnancy, childbirth, food consumption, physical exercise, legal punishment, concepts of health, and practices of cleanliness, treatments of disease, ageing, and death. In tandem with these topics, you will encounter the different early modern methods used to learn about the body, including medical treatises, anatomical dissection, first-hand experience, apprenticeships, and reference to ancient writings. Paintings, birth trays, ceramic dishes, medical engravings, anatomical wax sculptures, and tombs are among the original sources available to be consulted in Cortona, Siena, Arezzo, and Florence.  There are no prerequisites for ART H 211. Prerequisites for ART H 311: Students are required to have successfully completed two 200-level Art History courses with a minimum grade of B- in both.  ART H 311 will include additional course components.

This course is ideal for anyone who requires a Fine Arts requirement in their degree program (whether it's in the BA General or even a senior level Art History in the BFA or B Des programs).  As well, Science or Kinesiology students interested in medicine, anatomy or physiology will find this especially fascinating.   Or, if you are in any other program and have always wanted to take an Art History course in the cradle of the Renaissance, this would be perfect for you.

Your instructor, Dr. Liane McTavish, teaches the very popular Renaissance Art History course in Edmonton.  Please see our Faculty and Staff section for more information about Liane, or follow her on Twitter from the Faculty of Arts webpage.

As you plough through the Winter season, it's not too early to start thinking about Spring.  You can travel to Europe and also earn credit at the same time.  Since the Spring term runs on a condensed term from May 5-31, 2012, you'll finish your class in record time and still leave the rest of the summer to travel or work.  It will truly be the best of both worlds.  

Come see why Cortona was chosen as the setting for Under the Tuscan Sun.  Check out our photo galleries (see the links to the left) or our videos (see the links on the Cortona mainpage).  We want to see you in Cortona this Spring!