Valeria Forte, PhD

Italian Literature

• Theology and Philosophy in Medieval Italian Literature
• Il dolce stil novo
• Dante Studies
• Classical Influences in Italian Humanism and Renaissance
• Petrarca Studies
• Italian Epic Poetry
• Neoclassicism – Foscolo
• Leopardi’s Poetry and Philosophy
• Decadentism

Languages

• Italian
• Latin
• Ancient Greek
• Spanish
• Hebrew

Archaeology

• Classical
• Biblical
• Meso-American
• Megalithic

Jewish Studies

• Jewish Literature and Philosophy in Medieval Italy and Spain

• PhD, Humanities, Italian Literature, University of Texas at Dallas
• M.A., Jewish Studies, Biblical and Medieval, Hebrew College, Boston
• M.A., Anthropology, Etruscan Archaeology, University of Texas at Arlington
• M.A., Spanish, Medieval Literature, University of Texas at Arlington
• B.A., Spanish and Classics, University of Texas at Arlington
• Maturità Classica, Italy

• Affiliate Assistant Professor of Italian

Italian Program

• Dante (MIT 4346)
• Italian Poetry and Philosophy (MIT 4321)
• Italian Language and Culture (MIT 4V50)
• Italian Epic Poetry (MIT 3V50)
• La Poesia Stilnovistica (MIT 3V50)
• Independent Research (MIT 4V51)
• Advanced Communication in Italian (MIT 3323)
• Italian Literary Tradition II (MIT 3322)
• Italian Literary Tradition I (MIT 3321)
• Second Year Italian II (MIT 2312)
• Second Year Italian I (MIT 2311)
• First Year Italian II (MIT 1302)
• First Year Italian I (MIT 1301)

Classics Program

• Mediterranean Archaeology (CLC 4350, CLC 5301)

• "Intellectual Trajectory in Medieval Italian Literature: Maimonides, Dante, Immanuel ben Solomon” (2020)
• "Etruscan Origins and Italian Nationalism." Studia Europaea, vol. 1 (2011)
• "Martin Buber's Response to the Historical and Cultural Context of the First World War." Studia Europaea vol. 4 (2009).

 

• “Prophetic Technology in Maimonides and Dante.” Medieval Association of the Pacific Annual Conference, University of Oregon, Eugene, April 2023.
• “Critical analysis of Dante’s sonnet Tanto gentile e tanto onesta pare” Multilingual Poetry Night, University of Dallas, October 2023.
•  “Caravaggio, Master of Light” University of Dallas, September 2023.
• "Maimonidean Echoes in the Commedia", University of Dallas, December 2022.
• “Critical analysis of Ugo Foscolo’s sonnet A Zacinto”, Multilingual Poetry Night, University of Dallas, October 2022.
• “A Review of Papal Tributes to Dante’s Poetic Expression of Catholic Values”, Future of Catholic Literary Imagination, University of Dallas, October 2022.
• “Critical analysis of Guido Cavalcanti’s sonnet Avete ’n vo’ li fior e la verdure”, Multi-Lingual Poetry Night, University of Dallas, October 2021.
• “The Path to Spiritual Enlightenment: Jewish Mysticism in the Divine Comedy”, Southern Methodist University, Dallas, Sept. 2021.
• “Critical analysis of Dante’s Inferno Canto XVII” 100 Days of Dante video series, June 2021.
• “Critical analysis of Giacomo Leopardi’s sonnet: L'infinito” Multi-Lingual Poetry Night, University of Dallas, October 2020

• "Intellectual Trajectory in Medieval Italian Literature: Maimonides, Dante, Immanuel Ben Solomon." Hebrew College, Boston, MA, Dec. 2019.• "Consideration on the Question of Prophecy in Maimonides and Spinoza." Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Israel, Dec. 2019.
• "God's Nature as Revealed in the Book of Exodus." Schechter Institute of Jewish Studies, Jerusalem, Israel, May 2019.
• "Divine Comedy, Paradiso Canto I and XXXIII." Reading Dante's Divine Comedy, University of Dallas, Feb. 2019.
• "The Use of Memory for the Poetic Creation of a 'Locus Amoenus' in Petrarch's Chiare, fresche et dolci acque." Medieval Association of the Pacific Annual Conference, University of Nevada, Las Vegas, April 2018.
• "On the Process of Knowledge Acquisition: The Role of Pure Intuition in the Guide of the Perplexed." Hebrew College, Boston MA, December 2017.
• "The Influence of Hekhalot Literature and Merkabah Tradition on the Divine Comedy." Medieval Association of the Pacific Annual Conference, Loyola Marymount University, Los Angeles, CA, March 2017.
• "UD Faculty Symposium on the Divine Comedy" University of Dallas, Spring 2016.
• "Classical Literary Sources and Material Evidence in the Ancient Mediterranean World" University of Dallas, Spring 2015.
• "The Italic Temples of Schiavi di Abruzzo: Samnite Archaeology" University of Dallas Rome Walking Tours Lecture Series, Fall 2013.
• "The Chariot of Ezekiel in the Divine Comedy" University of Dallas Rome Walking Tours Lecture Series, Fall 2012.
• "The Mysticism of Saint Francis of Assisi: Laudes Creaturarum" University of Dallas, Fall 2012.
• "Italian Dolce Stil Novo: Guido Guinizzelli and Guido Cavalcanti" UT Dallas, Spring 2012.
• "Gerusalemme Liberata" University of Dallas, Fall 2011.
• "The Eternity of Leopardi's Poetry" University of Dallas Rome Walking Tours Lecture Series, Fall 2011.
• "A Night of Italian Poetry from Cielo d'Alcamo to Gabriele D'Annunzio" University of Dallas, Rome Walking Tours Lecture Series, Fall 2010.
• "The Trojan Legend in Etruria" University of Dallas, Spring 2010.
• "Classical Roots of the Divine Comedy: Lucretius' De Rerum Natura" UT Dallas, Fall 2009.
• Dante Symposium with Dr. Robert Hollander University of Dallas, Spring 2006, 2008 & 2009.
• "Italian Neo-Classicism: Ugo Foscolo's Alla Sera" University of Dallas, Spring 2007.
• "The Homeric Odysseus in the Divine Comedy" panel discussion with Dr. Karl Maurer. University of Dallas, Spring 2007.
• "Don Quijote's Rhetorical Discourse: Sign of Madness or Wisdom?" UT Arlington, Spring 1998.