90137 - History of Culture and Latin Text of Middle Ages (1)

Learning outcomes

At the end of the course students gain a basic understanding of the philological method as applied to the tradition of medieval texts (how to study the manuscript tradition of a medieval Latin text, how a critical edition is produced, how to read a critical edition) and are able to apply this knowledge to the history of culture and literary criticism. Students are acquainted with the working conditions of medieval authors and they are introduced to the different concrete forms of medieval textual production in relation to the diversity of the reading public. Students are able to reconstruct critically a brief text transmitted by a simple manuscript tradition.

Course contents

Was Francis of Assisi a Medieval Latin Writer?

In cultural tradition, Francis of Assisi has been many different things. Rarely, if ever, however, has the question been raised as to whether he was also a Latin writer of the Middle Ages: No one has truly asked whether he—using the Latin language—engaged in expressive experimentation, putting Latin to the test in terms of vocabulary, morphology, and syntax, with awareness and commitment.

(1). Following an introduction addressing the question of what poetry (or, if you prefer, non-referential writing) was in the Latin Middle Ages and what we might expect it to be in the age of Artificial Intelligence; (2) after examining the various writing styles of the key authors, (3) we will present a comprehensive reading of Francis’s 32 short Latin writings, asking whether he was also a deliberate writer in them and what relationship this self-awareness might have with his other psychological, intellectual, and spiritual awarenesses.

 

Readings/Bibliography

1. General part

Only one book from the following

C. Leonardi, Medioevo latino. La cultura dell'europa cristiana, Firenze, SISMEL Edizioni del Galluzzo 2004 (Il millennio medievale)

C. Leonardi (cur.) Letteratura latina medievale (secoli VI-XV). Un manuale, Firenze, SISMEL Edizioni del Galluzzo 2002 (Il millennio medievale)

F. Santi, L'età metaforica. Figure di Dio e letteratura latina medievale da Gregorio Magno a Dante, Spoleto, Fondazione Cisam 2011 (Uomini e mondi medievali)

G. Vinay, Alto medioevo latino. Conversazioni e no Napoli, Guida 1978 pp. 557 (Esperienze [Guida] 42) (nuova edizione cur. I. Pagani - M. Oldoni, adiuv. I. Ventura - C. Bottiglieri, Napoli, Liguori 20032 pp. 507 (Nuovo medioevo 14)

2. Reading and Commentary on the Writings of Francis of Assisi

La letteratura francescana I Francesco e Chiara d'Assisi cur. Claudio Leonardi, Milano, A. Mondadori-Fondazione Lorenzo Valla 2004 pp. 529 (Scrittori greci e latini)

 

Students who do not attend classes must prepare a second text between those indicated:

Gregorius Magnus, Dialogi (ed. A. de Vogüé-B. Calati, Roma 2000)

Hildegard of Bingen Ordo uirtutm cur. Peter Dronke, in Hildegardis Bingensis Opera minora, Turnhout, Brepols 2007 pp. 505-21 (Corpus Christianorum. Continuatio Mediaevalis 226) (English translation: Peter Dronke (ed. trad. comm.) Nine Medieval Latin Plays Cambridge, Cambridge University Press 1994 pp. XXXV-237 tavv. 4 (Cambridge Medieval Classics 1) .

Petrus Abaelardus-Heloissa Epistolario (ed. I. Pagani-G.Orlandi, Torino 2015)

 

 

Teaching methods

After a first introductory part (a. Periodization and restricted canon of the literary tradition of the Latin Middle Ages; b. How manuscript culture works; c. Working tools, erudition and new technologies), the course will involve

1. reading and commentary on the Writings of Francis of Assisi

2. analysis of some types of medieval manuscripts that convey it, on which - working in groups - some experiments may be conducted;

3. analysis of the forms in which the text has been reused.

Assessment methods

The examination is oral and usually lasts about 30 minutes, during which the lecturer first gives the student space to present one of his or her topics in an articulate manner. The examination is not only aimed at evaluating what has been learned, but is considered a moment of the teaching activity, that is, a useful moment to complete and fine-tune the course completed.

For the rest, it should be kept in mind that - in the ordinary way - the interview will then have the following articulation. The student (1) will be able to present (orally) a well-structured essay of their own, providing a title and identifying the target audience for their speech. The student (2) will be confronted with the general problems posed by the course and will be solicited about the general features of medieval latin literature also considering the modes of its communication, in relation therefore to the conditions the authors' work and listening to their audience. It will be possible to reason in this part of the examination about the hypotheses of periodization that articulate the Middle Ages, trying to focus on what are its revolutions. (3) There will then be a focus on the authors who can be considered representative in the different textual types experienced by medieval latin literature and the methodological problems involved in reading these texts. (4) Finally, parts from the works read in class may be read in relation to the problems and hypotheses posed by the course.

Exam sessions. During the 2025/2026 academic year, exam sessions are scheduled in the following months: May, June, July, September, October, November. December

Students with disabilities and Specific Learning Disorders (SLD). Students with disabilities or Specific Learning Disorders have the right to special adjustments according to their condition, following an assessment by the Service for Students with Disabilities and SLD. Please do not contact the instructor but get in touch with the Service directly to schedule an appointment. It will be the responsibility of the Service to determine the appropriate adjustments. For more information, visit the page: https://site.unibo.it/studenti-con-disabilita-e-dsa/en/for-students .

It is recommended that students contact the University office in advance. Any proposed adjustments must be submitted at least 15 days in advance for the instructor’s approval, who will evaluate their appropriateness in relation to the learning objectives of the course.

 

Teaching tools

Texts

medieval manuscripts

Electronic platforms dedicated to authors, texts, manuscripts, linguistic corpora

Office hours

See the website of Francesco Santi