After World War II ended in Europe, participating countries’ responses to the conflict—and what evolved into their remembrances of it—were widely varied. West and East Germany, Italy, France, and the Soviet Union retold or embellished their wartime histories, which downplayed or ignored the support of fascism and the Nazi regime. Writer and former foreign correspondent Adam Tanner reflects on how these nations have come to terms, or not, with their actions in World War II.

Caravaggio's Saint Matthew cycle—three paintings commissioned for the Roman church of San Luigi dei Francesi—was the artist’s first major public work. And the story they tell contains a murder mystery. Art historian, art crime expert, and author Noah Charney deciphers a Baroque detective story centered on a complicated artist (with a murder in his history) that offers a novel way to approach and appreciate the genius behind the paintings. (World Art History Certificate elective, 1/2 credit)

Artist Sandro Botticelli’s career flourished in the late 15th-century under the patronage of the Medici family, whose influence is woven throughout much of his work that blends classical themes with contemporary Florentine ideals. However, his trajectory was significantly impacted by the dramatic events of the day, notably the Bonfire of the Vanities, which saw countless artworks condemned as immoral and destroyed, marking a turning point in Botticelli's life and work. Art historian Elaine Ruffolo traces Botticelli’s remarkable journey from his early triumphs as a Medici favorite to his later years shaped by religious zeal and spiritual introspection. (World Art History Certificate elective, 1/2 credit)

The Godfather, parts 1 and 2, are often listed as among the greatest films of all time. Together with part 3, these films constitute a powerful cinematic trilogy that explores the myth of Italian American culture, the refashioning of the gangster film genre, and the influence of European auteur cinema on the Hollywood studio system. Joseph Luzzi, a literature professor at Bard College who also teaches courses on film and Italian studies, examines the cinematic techniques and themes that give the Godfather films their enduring appeal.

Palaces were the residences of monarchs, but they were also buildings where the business of state was carried out. Within their walls intrigues, murders, love affairs, and deaths—the full pageant of British history—took place and royal magnificence was displayed. Siobhan Clarke, a guide for the independent charity Historic Royal Palaces, introduces the splendid corridors of royal power and pleasure through four significant sites: the Tower of London, Hampton Court Palace, the Banqueting House at Whitehall Palace, and Kensington Palace.

At its peak, the Roman empire extended from Britain to the Sahara Desert, from the Atlantic Ocean to the Euphrates River. Yet in 476, the last western Roman emperor was deposed. In a 4-part series, historian David Gwynn analyzes the dramatic events which shaped the decline and fall of the Roman empire in the west, exploring the transformation from the ancient to the medieval world that laid the foundations for modern Europe. This session focuses on the impact of Goths, Huns, and Vandals.

For approximately five centuries during the second millennium B.C.E., the Egyptian city of Thebes served as the backdrop for the construction of a bewildering array of religious temples, memorial complexes, and royal tombs. Historian Justin M. Jacobs introduces the chief cultural, religious, and political themes of the monuments of ancient Thebes: the Karnak and Luxor temples of the East Bank, the memorial temples of the West Bank, and the necropolis in the Valley of the Kings.

Created by the “heretic” Pharaoh Akhenaten as the center of the monotheistic cult of worship of a sun god called the Aten, the ancient city of Tell el-Amarna is one of the most exciting archaeological sites in the world. Its extraordinary level of preservation provides an unmatched window into the population’s daily life and religious practices. Egyptologist Jacquelyn Williamson, a senior member of the Tell el-Amarna archaeological team, examines the latest discoveries at the site.