11379 - Medieval History

Learning outcomes

The discipline aims to educate students to know and comprehend the political, institutional, social, and cultural phenomena, which led to the construction of the special identity of Medieval Europe and of its documental and monumental patrimony.

Students will learn to understand the principal political-institutional and socio-cultural processes of the Medieval Age (in their essential lines); to critically analyse the impact on European civilization of these processes, in the long period; to apply these elements to the analysis of written sources and to the problems of the preservation and valorisation of the material patrimony, both documental and monumental) patrimony; to synthesize the methodological contents of a scientific historical paper, and to present the results of a research; to approach the study of new topics on the basis of the knowledge acquired during the course.

Course contents

F1st Learning module (6 credits), taught by Professor R. Savigni:

1) (2 h.) Introduction, The idea of Middle Ages and the issue of periodization. What's a source, and main typologies of sources. Collection of sources and specific websites.  

2) (18 h.) High Middle Ages. Migrations of nomadic populations, Roman-Germanic Kingdoms.

Lombards and Franks: society, institutions, mentality.

Arabs and Islam in the Mediterranean Sea.Byzantium and iconoclasm.

The role of the Church and of monasticism in the formation of medieval civilization.Cyril and Methodius and the Christianization of the Slavs.

The Carolingian and Ottonian Empire.

Feudality, Lordship and "incastellamento".

Papacy and Empire. The ecclesiastical reform of the 11th century.

Environment, climate and history. Climate change in the Middle Ages.

3) Case Study 1 (5 h.): Man-nature relationship in the Middle Ages. Forest and animals. Bestiaries. Cycles of the Months.

4) (5 h) Case study 2: War and conflicts in the Middle Age. Germanic cultures and Christianity facing War. Just war, Holy war, Chivalry and Crusade.

B - second learning module (26 h) taught by Elisa Tosi Brandi

The second learning module focuses on the analysis of some fundamental themes of the late medieval civilization (18 h)

• The Normans
• Civitas and Municipality
• The Signoria
• The New Orders; Heresies, Inquisition and witchcraft
• The 14th century; the Avignon papacy; the Hundred Years War
• Western European kingdoms and the formation of the Modern state. Regional states in Italy.
• The new horizons: geographical discoveries and commercial routes. Humanism and Renaissance.

A specific part of the lecture investigates two themes:

• The first focus on some female figures: Dhuoda, Matilde of Canossa, Catherin of Siena, Christine de Pizan, Margherita Datini, Alessandra Macinghi Strozzi (6 h):
• The second focus on the cultural history of otherness (pauperes, heresy, dissidence) (6 h)

  

 

Readings/Bibliography

A) 1^st Learning module:

1)Textbook: A. Zorzi, Manuale di storia medievale, Torino, Utet, new edition, 2021, or in special cases (foreign students) another manual agreed with the teacher.

2) Sources analyzed during the lessons by the teacher and apublished on Virtuale;

3) a reading chosen from the following:

A. Cortonesi, Il Medioevo degli alberi. Piante e paesaggi d'Italia (secoli XI-XV), Roma, Carocci 2022

G. Albertoni, L'elefante di Carlo magno. Il desiderio di un imperatore, Bologna, Il Mulino, 2020

J. Flori, La guerra santa, Bologna, Il Mulino, 2003, pp. 137-281

A. Musarra, Le crociate, Il Mulino 2022

It is recommended, especially for students with large gaps in their basic preparation, to read the book F. Senatore, Medioevo. Istruzioni for use, III edition, Pearson 2022 (with the possibility of accessing the MyLab platform).

Students are invited to use the discussion forum to pose questions to teachers.

Non-attending students must also take the following texts:

F. Senatore, Medioevo. Istruzioni per l'uso, III edizione, Pearson 2022

R. Savigni, Le premesse teologiche e culturali di lunga durata dell’atteggiamento del clero di fronte alla guerra: la dottrina della guerra giusta, in Guerra e pace nella riflessione delle Chiese emiliano-romagnole del ‘900. Tra storia e dibattito storiografico: bilanci e confronti, Atti del XXXV convegno di Ravennatensia (Modena, 4-5 ottobre 2018), a cura di M. Tagliaferri, Imola, Il nuovo diario messaggero, 2020 (Ravennatensia, XXIX), pp. 33-69

B) 2^nd Learning module: 

In addition to the medieval history handbook (A. Zorzi, Manuale di storia medievale, Torino, Utet, 2016) students are required to learn a volume chosen from those listed below:

M.G. Muzzarelli, Madri, madri mancate, quasi madri, Roma-Bari, Laterza, 2021

M. Montesano, Ai margini del Medioevo. Storia culturale dell’alterità, Roma, Carocci, 2021

Non-attending students must also learn a book of their choice between:

G. Grado Merlo, Frate Francesco, Bologna, il Mulino, 2017

P. Grillo, Le guerre del Barbarossa. I comuni contro l’imperatore, Roma-Bari, Laterza, 2014

D. Balestracci, Stato d’assedio. Assedianti e assediati dal Medioevo all’età moderna, Bologna, il Mulino, 2021 (con particolare riferimento al Medioevo e alla prima Età moderna)

F. Delle Donne, La porta del sapere. Cultura alla corte di Federico II di Svevia, Carocci, Roma, 2019.

 

 

 

Teaching methods

Traditional front lesson will be accompanied by the reading and analysis of various sources, provided by the teacher or available on the web (Latin sources are provided with Italian translations), by discussion of the main critical literature , and by constant e-learning communication.

 

Assessment methods

Entrance test: at the beginning of the course, to verify the initial knowledge and skills of the students attending. Mid-course test: after half of course A, to monitor the learning process.

Final test; an oral examination, about both parts. It can also be taken separately with the two professors. The final grade will be the average of the marks obtained in the two parts.
Presence showed by the student during the lessons or during discussion in the forum will be considered for the final mark, as well as partecipation to seminars or conferences and lectures about Middle Ages organized or suggested by the teacher.
In order to pass the exam, the students are requested to:

show understanding of  the principal topics of the course; 

identify the principal social-economical, cultural and istitutional transformations in Middle Ages;

critically read the sources available at the website Virtuale (at least in italian language), as well as the material indicated by the teacher.

In order to obtain a high mark, the student are requested to:

have a good knowledge of the specific vocabulary (Italian and Latin);

easly move through the different topics and sources using the appropriate links;

confront critically the different sources concerning the same topic.

If a student appears not to be able to move through the principal subjects studied and not to be able to order in time and space the most important historical events, he won't be able to succeed in the examination. A (at least) generical knowledge of the principal subjects, even without the use of an appropriate vocabulary, will be sufficient, and the student will pass.

Non-attending students are requested to contact the teacher to define the topics and the integrative readings before the conclusion of the course.

Non-attending students will be able to get a high evalutation only if they will use in a critical way the sources mentioned in the bibliographic material used, as well as they will use the suitable links between different readings and contexts, and answer to the questions with an appropriate vocabulary.

Teaching tools

Frontal lessons, critical reading of sources, and critical web use.

The Professor will use different typologies of sources (all translated during classes) partly available on the net (especially at www.retimedievali.it).
Lessons will be frontal, with interactive sessions, with use of e-learning material. Students ware also required to partecipate in the interactive teaching by enrolling on the e-learning page of the course: Virtuale).

Students will be able to intervene in the forum, which will represent a constant tool for dialogue with the teacher.

Links to further information

https://www.unibo.it/sitoweb/raffaele.savigni

Office hours

See the website of Raffaele Savigni

See the website of Elisa Tosi Brandi