The course provides a general overview of the history of 20th century Spain. Classes are organized in two sections. The first section deals with the history of Spain from the 19^th century to the Spanish Second Republic (1931-1936). The second section covers the period 1936-present, with particular attention to the following topics:

• The Spanish Civil War
• Franco’s dictatorship
• Basque, Catalan and Spanish nationalisms
• The relations between the United States and Spain

The course provides a general overview of the history of 20th century Spain. Classes are organized in two sections. The first section deals with the history of Spain from the 19^th century to the Spanish Second Republic (1931-1936). The second section covers the period 1936-present, with particular attention to the following topics:

• The Spanish Civil War
• Franco’s dictatorship
• Basque, Catalan and Spanish nationalisms
• The relations between the United States and Spain

This course is designed to introduce you to the history of the different societies and cultures that faced each other across the Mediterranean Sea during the Middle Ages and the Renaissance, examining intellectual and religious currents, economic ties, social change, collective mentalities, processes of Empire-building and state-formation, migratory movements and ´ecohistory´ in Byzantine civilization, the world of Islam, the medieval societies of Italy, Spain and France, the Ottoman Empire and the Mediterranean world during the Renaissance.

This course examines the history nature and complexity of human interactions across the Mediterranean, from the dawn of humanity in Africa until the fall of the western Roman Empire:A final part of the course will examine the threats to this heritage posed by contemporary issues such as climate change and the growth of tourism. The course is designed around eight separate modules or themes, focusing on key issues that define the historical trajectory, such as human evolution, the Neolithic revolution, the rise of urbanism in Mesopotamia and Egypt, and the classical world represented by ancient Greece and Rome.

The intention of the course is to explore these phenomena, not only as a historical process, but as a way to understand and assess today’s Western culture, economics and politics. Taking advantage of the situation of the Mediterranean region, the course aims to discuss also more intriguing issues in human history, such as what make us human, to figure out the role of women in human history, to explore the origins of urbanism, to discuss the nature of democracy and citizenship, to establish the effects of commercial and colonialist encounters, to explore curiosities of ancient daily life, and to understand why cultural heritage plays an important role in the construction of contemporary society..

As part of this exploration, the course will analyze how this Mediterranean heritage is presented to the general public through cinema, exhibitions, and displays in archaeological museums.The course also includes field studies to museums and archaeological sites in Barcelona so as to provide a first hand encounter with monuments and material culture. 

The course provides an overview of the history of 20th century Spain. Classes are organized in two sections. The first section deals with the history of Spain from the 19^th century to the Spanish Second Republic. The second section covers the period 1936-present, with particular attention to the following topics:

· The Spanish Civil War

· Franco’s dictatorship

· Basque, Catalan and Spanish nationalisms

· The relations between the United States and Spain

The course will survey the most significant political, socio-economic and cultural trends in European history from the French Revolution to the present day on a comparative and continent-wide basis. Prominence will be given to describing and explaining the forces, tensions and dilemmas that have shaped contemporary Europe. Europe as the home of freedom, democracy and national self-determination, but also of imperialism, racism, fascism and communism.