10588 - Exegesis of Medieval Historical Sources (1)

Learning outcomes

At the end of the course the student will get to know the different trends of contemporary historiography concerning the study of the Middle Ages, and will get the competence to develop a critical analysis and an exegesis of written and material sources. The student will also get a general presentation of the historiographic production during the Middle Ages, and will learn how to express orally and critically the knowledge of the subject he will get during the course, using the specific terminology of this discipline.

Course contents

Part I: Middle Ages in the contemporary historiography and culture; Marc Bloch and the "Annales" 'school'; the historicals sources (written, material [archaeological and artistic], ethnographic); the critical analysis and exegesis.

Part II: Critical approach to various typologies of Early Middle Ages written sources. 

1st semester course, 1st cycle

Lessons timetable and centre:

Monday, Tuesday,Wednesday, 9-11, Laboratorio informatico piccolo, V.Zamboni 36

Start of course: September 25, 2017

Readings/Bibliography

6 cfu COURSE 

For attending students:

-P. Delogu, Introduzione alla storia medievale, Bologna, Il Mulino, 2003 (or new impression) = chapters 1, 4, 8

- M.Bloch, Apologia della storia, Torino, Einaudi, 2009 (or new impression)

- S.Gasparri, Voci dai secoli oscuri. Un percorso nelle fonti dell'altomedioevo, Roma, Carocci, 2017

- P.Burke, Testimoni oculari. Il significato storico delle immagini, Roma, Carocci, 2002 (or new impression) = chapters 2, 5, 9

For not-attending students:

Also:

- J.Baschet, L'iconografia medievale, Milano, Jaca Book, 2014

or

- A. Augenti, Archeologia dell'Italia medievale, Roma-Bari, Laterza, 2016 = chapters 2, 9

Teaching methods

The course is based on frontal lessons in which will be given a general presentation of some more specific historiographic themes and will be proposed deeper investigation of some specific carachteristic of different typologies of written and material sources. In addition to that will be proposed a seminar focused on the individuation of different sources which can be useful to research, analyze and comment a particular historiographic problem.

Assessment methods

The assessment method is only trough a final exam, which will consist in an oral exam. This exam will aim to verify that the student has acquired the expected knowledge.The minimum standard of learning required to the student is to be able to use all the different typologies of sources trought the individuation of their particular carachteristics and of their informative potential concerning to the historiographical themes that will be proposed during the course.

Evaluation: An evaluation with grades of excellence is envisaged taking into consideration:
- the mastery both of the contents proposed during the lessons and of the bibliography indicated;
- the ability to synthesize and to analyze the themes and the concepts;
- the achievement of an organic vision and of a critical use of the themes and problems;
- good expressive competence and specific language.
A discreet assessment is envisaged taking into consideration:
- a mnemonic knowledge of the contents;
- the ability to synthesize and to analyze the themes and the concepts articulated in a correct, but not always appropriate language.
A sufficient assessment is envisaged taking into consideration:
- Formative gaps and / or inappropriate language, even if in a context of minimal knowledge of the examination contents.
A negative rating is foreseen taking into consideration:
- formative gaps; inappropriate language; lack of correlation within the proposed issues and the recommended bibliography.

 

Teaching tools

Overhead projector, video and slides projector, audiovisual aids, compendium of photocopied sources, powerpoint.

Office hours

See the website of Paola Galetti