From Dante to Eco, from Gaspara Stampa to Dacia Maraini, and from Machiavelli to Dario Fo: This volume offers a comprehensive introduction to Italian literary studies and literary history, with insights into themes and aspects of cultural studies. It provides information on fundamental concepts of literary studies, presents the most important literary methods, and lays out the basics of scientific text analysis and interpretation. The main part of the volume is an introduction to the history of Italian literature (and culture) from its beginnings in the 13th century through Dante, Petrarch, Boccaccio, the literature of the Early Modern period (Renaissance, Baroque, Enlightenment), and Modernity, up to the immediate present. A focus is placed on the European reception of Italian literature and culture, as seen in phenomena such as Petrarchism.