Indiana University Bloomington
Department of French and Italian

Julia Conaway Bondanella

Julia Bondanella

Professor Emerita of Italian

bondaneatindiana.edu

Research Areas

Medieval and Renaissance literature, comparative literature, history of ideas, Petrarchism and lyric poetry, translation.

Education

  • PhD, Comparative Literature, University of Oregon, 1973
  • MA, French, University of Kansas, 1967
  • BA with highest honors, French and English, University of Montana, 1965

Background

My undergraduate work included emphases on French, English, history and music. After studying in Québec and Montpellier and earning a masters in French, I finished my graduate work in Comparative Literature, which allowed me to combine many of my interests with a focus on Medieval and Renaissance culture (especially Italian, French, English, and Latin). Although Petrarch's work and influence have remained central to my scholarship, I also developed interests in translation, Renaissance political thought, and writings on art and artists. For over twenty years, I worked as Associate Director of the Honors Division and helped establish the Honors College, in which I was Associate Dean. For two terms, I held the position of Executive Secretary of the American Association of Italian Studies. I served as President of the National Collegiate Honors Council and Assistant Chairman for Programs at the National Endowment for the Humanities.

Publication Highlights

Books

  • Dante Alighieri. The Paradiso. The Henry Wadsworth Longfellow Translation. Illustrations by Gustave Doré. Introductory Essay of 20,000 words and critical commentary of approximately 75,000 words. New York: Barnes & Noble Classics Series, 2006. 364 pages. [Co-editor with Peter Bondanella].
  • Dante Alighieri. The Purgatorio. The Henry Wadsworth Longfellow Translation. Illustrations by Gustave Doré. Introductory Essay of 19,000 words and commentary of 65,000 words. New York: Barnes & Noble Classics Series, 2005. 325 pages. [Co-editor with Peter Bondanella].
  • Benvenuto Cellini. My Life. A new English translation based on the most recent Italian critical editions with an introductory essay, extensive notes and critical commentary. Oxford: Oxford University Press World's Classics Series, 2002. 472 pages. [Co-Editor and Co-Translator with Peter Bondanella].
  • Niccolò Machiavelli. Discourses on Livy. A new English translation based on the most recent Italian critical editions with an introductory essay, extensive notes and critical commentary. Oxford: Oxford University Press World's Classics Series, 1997. 413 pages. (Co-Editor and Co-Translator with Peter Bondanella].
  • Carlo Ridolfi. The Life of Titian. University Park, PA: Penn State University Press, 1996. 146 pages. [Co-Translator with Peter Bondanella and Co-editor with Bruce Cole, Jody Shiffman and Peter Bondanella].
  • The Cassell Dictionary of Italian Literature: Second Revised Edition. London: Cassell, 1996. 716 pages. [Co-Editor with Peter Bondanella and Jody Shiffman].
  • Giorgio Vasari. The Lives of the Artists. A new English translation with an introductory essay, extensive notes and critical commentary. Oxford: Oxford University Press World's Classics Series, 1991. 586 pages. [Co-Editor and Co-Translator with Peter Bondanella
  • Rousseau's Political Writings: A Norton Critical Edition. Translator. New York: W. W. Norton, 1988. 321 pages. [Co-Editor with Alan Ritter].

Articles

  • "Petrarch's Rereading of Otium in De vita solitaria." Comparative Literature 60.1 (2008): 14-28.
  • "The Discourses on Livy: Preserving A Free Way of Life." In Patricia Vilches and Gerald Seaman, eds. Seeking Real Truths: Multidisciplinary Perspectives on Machiavelli. Brill, 2007. 69-102.

Honors, Fellowships, and Awards

  • Trustees Teaching Award (French & Italian), 2004
  • Teaching Excellence Recognition Award (TERA), French & Italian, 1998
  • Student Choice Award for Outstanding Faculty, 1988