07080 - Economic and Social History of the Middle Ages

Learning outcomes

By the end of the course students will have a basic knowledge of the social and economic history of medieval Europe, including its institutional and cultural implications. They will recognise interrelations among historical phenomena and processes, and differences of spatio-temporal scale. They will be able to read and comment critically on texts and data, as well as to speak and write on related topics using proper terminology. Students will acquire a critical methodological approach and apply models of interpretation to social and institutional processes, identifying the relevant sources.

Course contents

The first module (6 CFU) will concern the theoretical principles of the economic and social History. This part of the course will be focused on the analysis and discussion of various types of European sources, which are attested between high and low Middle Ages.

In the second module (6 CFU) the relationship between city and countryside in medieval Europe will be deepened, with particular attention to Italy and some of its urban areas, to the international and local exchange network, as well as to the trade of goods, including food products. Special attention will be dedicated to the birth of an Italian modus operandi in the trade world, that goes hand in hand with the rise of the identity of an Italian cuisine. 

Two guided tours to a number of city structures in Bologna will be scheduled (the first, by the end of the module 1; the second, during the module 2), with the aim of deepening some course topics. 

Readings/Bibliography

Program for attending students (6 CFU):

- Lecture materials (power-points uploaded in the online platform).

- C. M. Cipolla, Storia economica dell'Europa preindustriale, Bologna, Il Mulino, 2002 (except chapters VII e VIII of the second Part).

- B. Figliuolo, Alle origini del mercato nazionale. Strutture economiche e spazi commerciali nell'Italia medievale, Udine, Forum, 2020 (only: Introductory Note + chapters I, II and III).

- M. Montanari, L'identità italiana in cucina, Roma-Bari, Laterza, 2010.

Program for non-attending students (6 CFU):

- C. M. Cipolla, Storia economica dell'Europa preindustriale, Bologna, Il Mulino, 2002 (except chapters VII e VIII of the second Part).

B. Figliuolo, Alle origini del mercato nazionale. Strutture economiche e spazi commerciali nell'Italia medievale, Udine, Forum, 2020 (only: Introductory Note + chapters I, II, III and VII).

- M. Montanari, L'identità italiana in cucina, Roma-Bari, Laterza, 2010.

- M. Montanari, Amaro. Un gusto italiano, Bari-Roma, Laterza, 2023.

Program for attending students (12 CFU):

- Lecture materials (power-points uploaded in the online platform).

- C. M. Cipolla, Storia economica dell'Europa preindustriale, Bologna, Il Mulino, 2002 (except chapters VII e VIII of the second Part). 

- B. Figliuolo, Alle origini del mercato nazionale. Strutture economiche e spazi commerciali nell'Italia medievale, Udine, Forum, 2020 (only: Introductory Note + chapters I, II, III, VII and VIII).

- B. Figliuolo, Tra storicismo e strutturalismo: lo scambio commerciale principio ideale eterno della storia, in Guardando a Venezia e oltre. Connettività locale, mercati intermedi e l'emporio dell''economia mondo' veneziana (secoli XIII-XV), a cura di B. Figliuolo, Udine, FORUM, 2022, pp. 7-27.

- Carlo Cattaneo. La città considerata come principio ideale delle istorie italiane, a cura di Michele Campopiano, Pisa, Edizioni della Normale, 2021.

- M. Montanari, L'identità italiana in cucina, Roma-Bari, Laterza, 2010.

- M. Montanari, Amaro. Un gusto italiano, Bari-Roma, Laterza, 2023.

Program for non-attending students (12 CFU):

- C. M. Cipolla, Storia economica dell'Europa preindustriale, Bologna, Il Mulino, 2002 (except chapters VII e VIII of the second Part).

- B. Figliuolo, Alle origini del mercato nazionale. Strutture economiche e spazi commerciali nell'Italia medievale, Udine, Forum, 2020.  

- M. Montanari, L'identità italiana in cucina, Roma-Bari, Laterza, 2010.

- M. Montanari, Amaro. Un gusto italiano, Bari-Roma, Laterza, 2023. 

- S. Tognetti, Un’industria di lusso al servizio del grande commercio. Il mercato dei drappi serici e della seta nella Firenze del Quattrocento, Firenze, Olschki, 2002.

 

Teaching methods

Frontal lessons of historiographic kind and thematic focus, with a critical study of the sources.

Attending students will present during the second module (individually, or in a group of 2/4) a paper (in the form of Power Point or similar) on a topic analysed during the lessons. 

Assessment methods

Students who attend at least 75% of the lessons are considered attending students (12 lessons out of 15 lessons).

 

Attending and non-attending students (6 CFU):

The verification of learning consists of an oral discussion about:

- the content of the lessons and the texts in the program for attending students;

- only the texts in the program for non-attending students.

 

Attending students (12 CFU):

The verification of the exam consists of two parts: a first written test and a second oral examination. 

The written test (= module 1 = first partial of 6 CFU) concerns the topics covered in class (material uploaded in the online platform) and the following texts:

- Cipolla, Storia economica (all the chapters indicated in the program);

- Figliuolo, Alle origini del mercato nazionale (only: Introductory Note + chapters I, II, III);

- Montanari, L'identità italiana in cucina.

The oral examination (= module 2 = second partial of 6 CFU) concerns the topics covered in class (material uploaded in the online platform) and the following texts:

- Figliuolo, Alle origini del mercato nazionale (chapters VII and VIII);

- Campopiano (a cura di), Carlo Cattaneo;

- Figliuolo, Tra storicismo e strutturalismo;

- Montanari, Amaro. Un gusto italiano.

 

Non-attending students (12 CFU):

The verification of the exam consists of two parts: a first written test and a second oral examination.

The written test (= module 1 = first partial of 6 CFU) concerns the following texts:  

- Cipolla, Storia economica (all the chapters indicated in the program);

- Figliuolo, Alle origini del mercato nazionale (only: Introductory Note + chapters I-VI); 

- Montanari, L'identità italiana in cucina.

The oral examination (= module 2 = second partial of CFU) concerns the following texts: 

- Figliuolo, Alle origini del mercato nazionale (chapters VII-XI);

- M. Montanari, Amaro. Un gusto italiano, Bari-Roma, Laterza, 2023.  

- S. Tognetti, Un’industria di lusso al servizio del grande commercio. Il mercato dei drappi serici e della seta nella Firenze del Quattrocento, Firenze, Olschki, 2002.

 

Assessment criteria. The student's achievement of a critical knowledge of the course contents as well as the mastery of specific language will be evaluated with marks of excellence. A mnemonic knowledge of the subjet together with the ability to synthesise and analyze will lead to a discrete assessment. Training gaps and/or inappropriate language will lead to a sufficient grade. Significant gaps in knowledge, inappropriate language and a little knowledge of bibliographic materials can only be negatively evaluated.

The course (6 CFU) belongs to the integrated Course "Economic and social history of the Middle Ages". If a student has the entire integrated course (12 CFU) in his study plan, the final mark will be calculated as the arithmetical average of the marks obtained in each exam of both courses ("Economic History of the Middle Ages" and "Economic and social history of the Middle Ages”).

Teaching tools

Texts and images in PowerPoint and the reproductions of written sources in PDF format wil be available on the IOL platform.

Office hours

See the website of Francesca Pucci Donati