11779 - Medieval History (1)

Learning outcomes

The course aims to provide the methodological and knowledge bases necessary for the study of the long medieval period. During the lessons some general questions are dealt with (The transition from the late ancient to the early Middle Ages, the barbarians, the fracture constituted by the Lombards, the Franks and Carolingian Europe, the vassal-beneficiary relations, From the city of the late antique to the Episcopal city, Continuity and changes between the 10th and 11th centuries, the Curtese system, land lordship and territorial lordship, the Reform of the Church, the Municipalities, the new Orders) and other more circumscribed by critically presenting sources and historiography. The aim of the teaching is also to illustrate how historical research is set up and tackled.

Course contents

Part of the course will be not in presence and part in presence.

Some lessons of a general nature will be proposed not in presence while the hours in presence will be dedicated to the study of two themes, one for the early Middle Ages and one for the late Middle Ages through the reading and commenting of sources and discussion with students.

The following topics will be explored in the initial lessons not in presence:

-the passage from the late ancient to the early Middle Ages. The "barbarians" - continuity or fracture? 

-The Lombards and the Carolingian Europe

-vassalatic-beneficiary relationships

- encastellation and "curtis"

-continuity and changes between the 10th and 11th centuries

- towards the Reform of the Church

-Italian City Communes

-the new Orders

In the  face-to-face lessons the following topics will be discussed: "Fragments of life from penitential books" (for the early Middle Ages) and "Regulated luxury: methods and purposes" (for the late Middle Ages) with reading of sources, commentary on the same and reasoning on historiography .

Readings/Bibliography

All students are required to know the manual by M.Montanari, Medieval History, Rome-Bari, Laterza 2002 and a volume (two volumes for non attending students) chosen from those listed below:

S.Gasparri, C.La Rocca, Tempi barbarici. L'Europa occidentale tra antichità e medioevo (300-900), Roma Carocci 2012

-A.Barbero, Carlo Magno, Roma-Bari, Laterza 2002

-G.M.Cantarella, V.Polonio, R.Rusconi, Chiesa, chiese, movimenti religiosi, Roma-Bari, Laterza 2001

-N.D'Acunto, La lotta per le investiture. Una rivoluzione medievale (998-1122), Roma, Carocci 2020

G.Milani, I comuni italiani, Roma-Bari, Laterza 2005

-M.G.Muzzarelli, Le regole del lusso. Apparenza e vita quotidiana dal Medioevo all’Età moderna, Bologna, il Mulino 2020

-R.Rao, I paesaggi dell'Italia medievale, Roma Carocci 2015.

Teaching methods

During the lessons will be presented the topics chosen and treated using sources analyzed in class. The main bibliography will be proposed and the most recent theses discussed

Assessment methods

The final exam will be an oral one, with questions aimed to verify the student's knowledge of the themes discussing during frontal lectures (only for attending students) as well as those treated in the program's texts.

Non-attending students will have to take an oral final exam about the themes treated in the program's texts.

Teaching tools

During the lessons will be regularly presented some sources to read and comment and the main positions of the most recent historiography through appropriate bibliographic references

Office hours

See the website of Maria Giuseppina Muzzarelli