70746 - STORIA MEDIEVALE

Learning outcomes

Aim of this course is to provide the students with a sound knowledge of the main political, institutional, social and cultural processes, which shaped the identity of Medieval Europe and led to the formation of its cultural heritage. At the end of the course, students will be able to identify and understand the most relevant continuities and changes in Medieval History, on the basis of a critical approach, which allows them to properly contextualise written, iconographic and material sources and scientifically address the main historical issues related to cultural heritage preservation.

Course contents

This course aims to provide the students with an overall but refined, solid and updated knowledge of the European Medieval Millennium. It analyses the main historical processes, the most crucial issues, and the decisive chronological and conceptual breakthroughs in Medieval History.

This course is structured into two modules. The first one explores the Early Middle Ages (fifth to eleventh century), and the second is devoted to the Late Middle Ages (twelfth to fifteenth century). Both modules are divided into two parts. The first part of each module provides an overview of the European Middle Ages, while the second part of each module investigates a specific in-depth case study, and the theme is Insignia of Power.

Module 1 (30 hours), Prof. Stefano Manganaro

The first part of Module 1 focuses on the most relevant issues related to the history of the Early and High Middle Ages, which can be listed as follows:

• The idea of the Middle Ages beyond historiographic myths and commonplaces
• Barbarian kingdoms and the post-Roman world
• Medieval monasticism, between St. Benedict and the Irish tradition
• The Mediterranenan space in the Early Middle Ages, the Empire of Constantinople, and the rise of Islam
• The Carolingians
• The Romano-Germanic Empire
• Local seigneurial power and territorial lordships
• Eleventh-century ecclesiastical Reform and the primacy of the Roman Church

The second part of Module 1 - in seminar format, on the case study Insignia of Power - analyses a selection of medieval imperial insignia through a multidimensional approach, which combines the research on kingship and royal governance, the history of ideas and material culture studies. The selected imperial insignia are the following ones:

• The dower charter of Empress Theophanu, 972 (Wolfenbüttel, Niedersächsisches Landesarchiv, 6 Urk. 11)
• The imperial crown of the Ottonian and Salian rulers, tenth to the eleventh (twelfth?) century (Kunsthistorisches Museum Wien, Schatzkammer, WS XIII 1)
• The 'cloak of stars' of Emperor Henry II, 1020 (Diözesanmuseum Bamberg, 2728/3-6)

Module 2 (26 hours), Prof. Tosi Brandi

The first part of Module 2 focuses on the most relevant issues related to the history of the High and Late Middle Ages, which can be listed as follows:

• Economic development from the eleventh to the thirteenth century
• Cities and the Communes
• The Papacy and the emergence of new forms of religious life
• The rise of the Monarchies of England, France and Spain 
• New horizons: geographical discoveries and trade routes, Humanism and the Renaissance
  

The second part of Module 2 - in seminar format, on the case study Insignia of Power - analyses a selection of medieval clothes (as material objects in themselves and also in their representations and descriptions according to iconographic and written sources) from the perspective of material culture studies. The selected objects are the following ones:

• The clothes that symbolised voluntary poverty according to Francis of Assisi and the Movement of the Penitents (twelfth to fourteenth century)
• The funerary clothes of Archbishop of Ravenna Rainaldo da Concorezzo (1321)

Readings/Bibliography

In addition to the contents of the lessons and the materials uploaded to Virtuale platform (https://virtuale.unibo.it/), students are required to study the following handbook:

1) L. Provero, M. Vallerani, Storia medievale, Firenze: Le Monnier, 2022².

Concerning the module 1, students need to add the following essays:

2) S. Manganaro, Il dotario dell’imperatrice Teofano e il Laterano, «Römische Quartalschrift», 120/1-2 (2025), 78-98.

3) P. E. Schramm, Gli imperatori della casa di Sassonia alla luce della simbolistica dello stato, in “Renovatio imperii”. Atti della giornata internazionale di studio per il millenario (Ravenna, 4-5 novembre 1961), Faenza: Fratelli Lega, 1963, 15-40.

Concerning the module 2, students need to add the following essays:

4) E. Tosi Brandi, La rappresentazione di vilitas e paupertas. Un’analisi dall’abbigliamento di alcune penitenti italiane dei secoli XII-XIV, «Cahiers d’études italiennes», Filigrana, 39 (2024), 1-20 (liberamente scaricabile on line: https://journals.openedition.org/cei/14952 );

5) M. C. Carile, E. Tosi Brandi, La casula di Rainaldo: uso, circolazione e produzione di zendadi di lusso fra Duecento e Trecento, in Rainaldo da Concorezzo nel VII centenario della morte (1321-2021), Convegno internazionale di studio, (Concorezzo, Monza-Brianza, 9-11 settembre 2021), a cura di G. Archetti, Spoleto: Cisam, 2025, 243-274.

Teaching methods

This course combines frontal and seminar-style lessons in a complementary way. The traditional lecture format is integrated by slides with maps, images and texts. The seminar format is adopted for the analysis of medieval sources and objects.

These materials are uploaded on the online platform Virtuale (https://virtuale.unibo.it/).

Assessment methods

The final assessment consists of an oral exam on the topics analysed in the course and recommended readings. Both professors will be present to pose questions concerning their respective modules (Prof. Manganaro on Module 1; Prof. Tosi Brandi on Module 2) and their individual assessments will be combined each other to define just one final mark. 

The exam procedure aims to assess the knowledge of the contents of the course; the ability to expose them through an appropriate and scientific vocabulary; the critical understanding of medieval sources along with expository and argumentative skills. A clear and intensive engagement with the course topics and materials - including simple questions, critical observations, requests of clarification or further explanations - is deeply appreciated and can change the final assessment and mark.

Particularly relevant are the following skills:

- the mastery of the discipline;

- the ability to analyse historical themes and concepts, and to make a syntheis of them;

- the familiarity with an appropriate scientific vocabular.

Excellent marks will be awarded to students who prove an in-depth understanding of the topics discussed during the course, a critical and analytical attitude, a confident and proper use of the scientific vocabulary.

Average marks will be awarded to students who prove to have a general understanding of the main topics of the course and some good analytical skills, but fail to show a mastery of the appropriate vocabulary.

Correct but minimal knowledge, along with deficiencies in the use of an appropriate scientific vocabulary, cannot guarantee the possibility to overcome the threshold of sufficiency.

Relevant knowledge gaps, analytical mistakes and inappropriate vocabulary do not allow students to pass the exam.

Teaching tools

- Projection (with comments) of maps;

- Projection (with comments) of medieval sources, in original (Latin) and translation (Italian)

- Projection (with comments) of images and objects.

Please note that the initiatives suggested or organised by the professor (educational visits, seminars, book presentations, etc.) are to be considered as a constitutive part of the course.

***

A message for students with disabilities (whether permanent or temporary), SLD, ADHD or other special educational needs related to learning disorders.

Those who need special strategies to compensate their disorders are kindly requested to contact the professor, in order to be referred to the colleagues in charge and get proper advice and instructions.

Please see also: https://site.unibo.it/studenti-con-disabilita-e-dsa/en/for-students

Office hours

See the website of Stefano Manganaro

See the website of Elisa Tosi Brandi