00929 - Modern History

Learning outcomes

The course concerns the reconstruction of the main events in Early Modern History, in the light of the latest historical interpretations. After completing the course, students will be able to place the facts and issues in the context of international events and will be able to show sound knowledge and understanding of the main phases of European and World history from the end of the 15th to the end of the 18th Centuries.

Course contents

The course is dedicated to the study of the main political, social, cultural and religious transformations of the modern age, with particular attention to the long-term dynamics that mark the transition from medieval Europe to the contemporary world and their impact on the formation of institutional structures, cultural practices and systems of representation that are an integral part of European historical heritage.

The first part of the course, which is institutional in nature, will be devoted to the analysis of the fundamental themes of the modern age: the formation of the modern state and the processes of centralisation of power; geographical discoveries and European expansion in the New World, Africa and Asia; the religious crisis of the 16th century (Reformation and Counter-Reformation); European monarchies and absolutism; social organisation and conflict dynamics, with particular reference to European wars and military campaigns; practices of coexistence and religious tolerance; enlightened despotism and the revolutions of the late 18th century, also considered in their symbolic and communicative dimensions.

A second part, developed during lectures, will be devoted to an in-depth study of social and gender history in the modern age, with a focus on forms of participation, mediation and exclusion of women in the spheres of political, dynastic and religious power. A further focus will be on the history of the family and marriage, understood as central institutions of the modern social order, with attention to legal norms, social practices, gender relations and conflicts within the domestic sphere, considered as a space for the construction of identity, roles and representations. These issues will also be addressed in relation to the dynamics of mobility and social integration and exclusion, as well as forms of dependence and coercion, including slavery. Finally, the course will examine religious and cultural minorities, the processes of constructing otherness, the circulation of knowledge, books and images, and the mechanisms of control and censorship, placing these phenomena in a European and global context and focusing on their impact on the preservation, interpretation and enhancement of historical and cultural heritage. 

Readings/Bibliography

For the study of the institutional programme, we recommend the following manual:

• Francesco Benigno, L’età moderna: dalla scoperta dell’America alla Restaurazione, in collaborazione con Massimo Carlo Giannini e Nicoletta Bazzano, Roma-Bari, Laterza, 2007.

 

In addition to the textbook, students may choose one of the following supplementary texts, whether they attend classes or not:

• G. Fiume, Mediterraneo corsaro: storie di schiavi, pirati e rinnegati in età moderna, Roma, Carocci, 2025.

• A. Bellavitis, Il lavoro delle donne nelle città dell’Europa moderna, Roma, Viella, 2016.

• P. Delpiano, La schiavitù in età moderna, Roma-Bari, Laterza, 2009.

• M. Infelise, I libri proibiti da Gutenberg all’Encyclopédie, Roma-Bari, Laterza, 2002.

• D. Lombardi, Storia del matrimonio. Dal Medioevo a oggi, Bologna, Il Mulino, 2008.

• G. Caravale, Libri pericolosi. Censura e cultura italiana in età moderna, Roma-Bari, Laterza, 2022.

• C. Casanova, Regine per caso. Donne al governo in età moderna, Roma-Bari, Laterza, 2014.

• E. Ivetic, Storia dell’Adriatico. Un mare e la sua civiltà, Bologna, Il Mulino, 2019.

• T. Kaufmann, I redenti e i dannati. Una storia della Riforma, Torino, Einaudi, 2018.

• M. A. Visceglia, Le donne dei papi in età moderna. Un altro sguardo sul nepotismo, Roma, Viella, 2023.

• J. Thornton, L’Africa e gli Africani nella formazione del mondo atlantico. 1400-1800, Bologna, Il Mulino, 2010.

• C. H. Parker, Relazioni globali nell’età moderna, 1400-1800, Bologna, Il Mulino, 2012. 

Teaching methods

  The course will adopt a dynamic and participatory approach, aimed at developing in students a solid critical understanding of modern historical processes and providing useful tools for the analysis, interpretation and historical contextualisation of cultural phenomena.


Teaching activities include:

Interactive lectures, supported by multimedia materials (PowerPoint presentations, images, concept maps), aimed at clarifying the main chronological and thematic junctures and relating events, contexts and historiographical interpretations.


- Reading and analysis of different types of historical sources (regulatory documents, literary and religious texts, testimonies, printed materials) in order to familiarise students with the critical use of sources in reconstructing the past.


- In-depth study of historiography, through guided discussion of texts by historians, in order to understand the evolution of historical interpretations and the main methodological debates relating to the modern age.


- Guided exercises and synthesis activities, such as the comparative analysis of historical phenomena, the construction of interpretative frameworks and the comparison of different historiographical approaches, also in relation to themes of social, cultural and gender history.


- Classroom discussions and debates aimed at stimulating active participation, critical thinking and the ability to connect the course content to broader issues of protection, enhancement and communication of historical and cultural heritage.


The aim is not only to impart historical knowledge, but also to develop the analytical and interpretative skills that are essential for working knowledgeably in the field of cultural heritage.

Assessment methods

The examination is oral and focuses on the texts indicated in the bibliography.
The test will be divided into two parts: the first part will be dedicated to testing knowledge of the institutional programme, with particular attention to the main historical processes of the modern age; the second part will concern the in-depth study of a monographic theme, chosen by the student from among the texts proposed in the bibliography.
An excellent grade will be awarded to those who demonstrate full mastery of the content, a clear and articulate presentation, and a conscious use of interpretative and historiographical tools. The wealth of bibliographical references allows the exam to be oriented towards topics and areas of particular interest, enhancing coherent and in-depth courses of study.
A correct but mainly descriptive preparation, lacking adequate critical reworking, will lead to moderate assessments. Gaps in content, imprecise use of historical language, and difficulty in navigating the bibliographic materials will be asse.

Students with Special Educational Needs are invited to contact the relevant University office in good time
(https://site.unibo.it/studenti-con-disabilita-e-dsa/it ).
The office will propose any support measures or adjustments to the assessment methods, which must be submitted to the lecturer for approval at least 15 days in advance. These adjustments will be assessed in relation to the educational objectives of the course.

Office hours

See the website of Stefano Boero