Giuseppe Bruno-Chomin
Assistant Teaching Professor of Italian
- 34 Burrowes Building
Biography
Giuseppe Bruno-Chomin earned a Ph.D. in Italian Studies and graduate certificate in Global Medieval and Renaissance Studies from The University of Pennsylvania. His research interests include Early Modern Intellectual History, Mediterranean Studies, Paleography, Religious Studies, Second Language Acquisition and Development, and Translation Studies. Before coming to Penn State, he taught Italian language, literature, and culture at Temple University, St. John’s University, The University of Pennsylvania, and The Curtis Institute of Music. At Penn State, he is the current faculty advisor to the Italian Student Society and director of the Todi, Italy Summer Program.
Publications:
- “Ce Beau Jardin du Monde: Italy and Italian Adaptations in Charles Sorel’s Francion,”Viator Journal of Medieval and Renaissance Studies 56, no. 2 (2025): 2-30.
- “Un neomartire ortodosso nel teatro gesuitico: il caso interconfessionale di Markos Kyriakopoulos,” Rivista di storia del cristianesimo 18, no. 2 (2021): 441-470.
- “Utopian Redemption and the Plurality of Worlds: Tommaso Campanella and Cyrano de Bergerac,” Rinascimento 59 (2019): 427-446.
- “Che i matti dicano spropositi.’ A Discussion of Cometary Theory and Superstition in Seventeenth Century Italy,” Nuncius 32, no. 1 (2017): 85-110.
Translations:
Books
- Inquisition, Conversion, and Foreigners in Baroque Rome. Written by Irene Fosi, translated by Giuseppe Bruno-Chomin (Brill, 2021).
Articles & Essays
- “Court Prophets in Renaissance Italy.” Written by Gabriella Zarri, translated by Giuseppe Bruno-Chomin in From Living Saints to Diving Mothers: Women’s Religiosity in Italy 1400-1500 (Routledge, 2026).
- “The ‘Mother’ of Guglielmo VIII Paleologo: Maddalena Panattieri da Trino, Dominican Penitent (1443-1503).” Written by Gabriella Zarri, translated by Giuseppe Bruno-Chomin in From Living Saints to Diving Mothers: Women’s Religiosity in Italy 1400-1500(Routledge, 2026).
- “A ‘Noble Way’ to Achieve Perfection: The Blessed Elena Duglioli Dall’Olio’s Letter to Anne of Monferrato (1521).” Written by Gabriella Zarri, translated by Giuseppe Bruno-Chomin in From Living Saints to Diving Mothers: Women’s Religiosity in Italy 1400-1500 (Routledge, 2026).
- “The Court of Mantua, the ‘Secret Company,’ and the Cult of Margherita da Russi and Gentile da Ravenna.” Written by Gabriella Zarri, translated by Giuseppe Bruno-Chomin in From Living Saints to Diving Mothers: Women’s Religiosity in Italy 1400-1500(Routledge, 2026).
- “Spiritual Correspondence and Examples of Reading: The Letters of a Spiritual Father with the Notes of a Visionary Nun (1628-1648).” Written by Gabriella Zarri, translated by Giuseppe Bruno-Chomin, in Women as Readers in Early Modern Italy (provisional title), edited by Julia L. Hairston and Milena Sabato (forthcoming).
- “Fashion is a Serious Business.” Written by Gianna Manzini, translated by Giuseppe Bruno-Chomin, in Eugenia Paulicelli, Fashion under Fascism. Beyond the Black Shirt(Bloomsbury, 2025).
- “The Princess Nun: The Familiar Letters of Suor Eleonora d’Este (1515-1575), Daughter of Lucrezia Borgia.” Written by Gabriella Zarri, translated by Giuseppe Bruno-Chomin, in Gendering the Renaissance, edited by Meredith K. Ray and Lara Lynn Westwater (University of Delaware Press, 2023).
Service:
- President, American Association of Teachers of Italian (AATI) Keystone Chapter 2024-present.
- Co-editor, The Journal of Language Teaching and Technology, peer-reviewed journal 2024-present.
- Co-editor, Bibliotheca Dantesca, peer-reviewed journal 2019-present.
News & Miscellaneous Contributions:
- “Quarant’anni di scambio culturale a Todi. Il programma estivo della Penn State University: apprendimento e comunità,” cowritten by Giuseppe Bruno-Chomin and Jason Laine, Città Viva, 3 (2026): 10-11.
- https://www.psu.edu/news/liberal-arts/story/faculty-led-program-todi-italy-celebrates-40th-anniversary.
- https://www.iltamtam.it/2026/04/30/quaranta-anni-di-scambio-culturale-internazionale-a-todi/
- https://www.psu.edu/news/penn-state-global/story/living-and-learning-italy-education-abroad-program-celebrates-40-years
- https://www.psucollegian.com/news/campus/department-of-spanish-italian-and-portuguese-hosts-tri-state-summit-of-italian-teachers/article_46389ca7-e277-438a-90ac-daa612960b79.html
- https://glis.la.psu.edu/wp-content/uploads/sites/20/2025/11/GLIS-November-2025-Newsletter_DIGITAL.pdf
- https://penntoday.upenn.edu/news/dante-700-years-anniversary
- https://www.jhiblog.org/2021/04/19/italian-secrets-forgery-and-a-pearly-obsession/
- https://www.psu.edu/news/liberal-arts/story/liberal-arts-students-travel-todi-italy-faculty-led-study-abroad-program/
Education
Ph.D., University of Pennsylvania
Courses Regularly Taught
0-99 Level
4 Credits
Italian
IT 002 Elementary Italian 2
Elementary Italian 2 (4 credits) is for students who have successfully completed IT 001 (or equivalent). The course continues the introduction to the written and spoken language in IT 001 through a variety of exercises. Information is also presented regarding current issues in Italian society with the goal of developing intercultural competencies. Topics may include both traditional themes (e.g. cuisine, family and the arts) and contemporary themes (e.g. immigration, environmental issues and civil rights). The class will be conducted in Italian.
Prerequisite
IT 001
Bachelor of Arts
World Language (All)
100 Level
3 Credits
Fall 2026 Semester
English
IT 130 Italian Culture and Civilization
Italian Culture and Civilization, examines life in the Italian peninsula, from the fall of the Roman Empire to the present. It is designated an International Cultures course, which aims to develop critical and analytical skills of undergraduate students through a global exploration of the historical, cultural, and political aspects of Italian society. Historical material will be studied to facilitate understanding of how Italian unity is imagined across time and will emphasize the continuous process of fragmentation and negotiation of cultural, national, and political identities through the ages. The course traces, among other topics, the role of the Catholic Church, the Renaissance, Italian Unification, Fascism, and contemporary immigration to Italy.
Class Times
Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays from 1:25–2:15 p.m.; Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays from 12:20–1:10 p.m.
Bachelor of Arts
Humanities, International Cultures (IL)
General Education
Humanities (GH)
All IT major options
Does not count toward the IT minor
400 Level
3 Credits
Italian
IT 422 Topics in the Italian Renaissance
Topics vary by year and may include "Theories of Love," "Magic, Witchcraft, Alchemy, and the Emergence of Modern Science," etc. IT 422 Topics in the Italian Renaissance (3)(BA) This course meets the Bachelor of Arts degree requirements. In this course students develop their advanced language skills while pursuing study of Italian Renaissance and/or Humanist topics. Check with faculty for current topic. Course may only be taken once for credit. Course counts toward the Italian major and minor. Course taught in Italian. Evaluation methods include two midterms, short reading response papers, class presentation, and final exam. Prerequisite: any 300-level Italian course.
Prerequisite
any Italian course at the 300-level
Bachelor of Arts
World Language (All), World Lang (12th Unit), Humanities
Exceeds 12th Unit of World Language
Publications
Inquisition, Conversion, and Foreigners in Baroque Rome
Author(s):
- Irene Fosi
Translator(s):
- Giuseppe Bruno-Chomin
Publication Date:
- 2020
About the Book
In Rome, where strategies to re-establish Roman Catholic orthodoxy were formulated, the problem of how to deal with foreigners and particularly with ‘heretics’ coming from Northern Europe was an important priority throughout the early modern period. Converting foreigners had a special significance for the Papacy. This volume, which includes several case studies, explores the meaning of conversion and the changes of policy adopted by the church bodies set up to protect orthodoxy. It uses inquisitorial documents (from Archivio della Congregazione per la dottrina della Fede) and sources from other archives and libraries, both in Rome and elsewhere.
This book is an updated and revised translation of Convertire lo straniero (Viella, 2011), including a bibliography reflecting the most recent scholarship on its subject.
