A repeat of last year’s popular course with all new cities! Paris, Rome, and Berlin are well-known to us, even if we’ve never been there. But what about Dijon, Nantes, or Bordeaux; Torino, Parma, or Padova; Salamanca, Zaragoza, York, and Krakow? In this course we will learn about Europe’s lesser-known cities, studying their history, development, geography, demography, architecture, economy, and cultural life.

Each city has a different story to tell. Why did it arise where it did? Did princes and bishops contribute most to its embellishment or was it rich Hanseatic merchants or silk traders? How were the inhabitants affected by religious wars and nationalist movements? And what happened there during World War II and afterwards? Is the city associated with great writers, artists, culinary traditions? Each participant will be asked to research and present a different city chosen from a list of suggestions. Please note: this course is not about our travel experiences, although some of us may discover a future destination.

Format: Individual presentations, preferably with slides.

Resources/Expenses: No text, optional videos. No expenses.