70746 - STORIA MEDIEVALE

Learning outcomes

This course aims at providing 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 are expected to be able to identify and understand the most relevant continuities and changes in Medieval History. They are also expected to develop a critical approach to properly contextualise written, iconographic and material sources and scientifically address the main historical issues related to the preservation of medieval cultural heritage.

Course contents

This course aims at providing 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); the second one 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 on a selected topic, which is the 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 historical development of the primacy of the Roman Church

The second part of Module 1—in a seminar format, based on the case study Insignia of Power—explores a selection of medieval imperial insignia adopting 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:

• 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:

• The economic development in Medieval Europe from the eleventh to the thirteenth century
• Urban societies and the Italian Communes
• The Papacy and the emergence of new forms of religious life in the Late Middle Ages
• The rise of the national monarchies in England, France and Spain 
• New horizons: geographical discoveries and trade routes, Humanism and the Renaissance
  

The second part of Module 2—in a seminar format, based on the case study Insignia of Power—analyses a selection of medieval clothes (whether extant or known through textual descriptions and iconographic sources) from the perspective of material culture studies. Specifically, the analysis focuses on:

• Representations of voluntary poverty through clothing: from Francis of Assisi to the Penitent movement (twelfth to fourteenth century)
• The funerary goods and clothes of Archbishop of Ravenna Rainaldo da Concorezzo (1321)

Readings/Bibliography

In addition to the course notes 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 oral examination, to be taken once the lectures have concluded, is the sole form of assessment and evaluation. The examination is conducted jointly by the two professors on their respective modules (Prof. Manganaro on Module 1; Prof. Tosi Brandi on Module 2), but it is a single examination, as is the final mark, which is the average of the two assessments.

The examination is designed to assess students’ knowledge of the topics discussed in lectures and covered in the examination reading list. The assessment focuses on in-depth knowledge of the subject; the appropriate use of language; the ability to organise information effectively and analyse it critically; and the ability to navigate the use of sources and bibliographic material, making thematic connections. Active participation in lectures—through questions, contributions, requests for clarification, and further discussions—is particularly appreciated and influences the final mark.

The key criteria for assessment are the following ones:
- the mastery of the subject;
- the ability to analyse topics and concepts in depth, and to summarise them;
- a well-structured presentation and precise expression of the subject matter, using the specific vocabulary of the discipline.

Students who demonstrate an in-depth and comprehensive understanding of the topics covered in lectures, the development of historical critical thinking, and the mastery of a vocabulary and conceptual notions consistent with the discipline are awarded top marks.

A general knowledge of the subject, good analytical and summarising skills, accompanied, however, by language that is not always appropriate, result in moderate marks.

Gaps in knowledge and/or inappropriate language, even where there is a basic understanding of the main topics, do not guarantee that the pass threshold will be achieved.

Gaps in knowledge, inappropriate language and a lack of familiarity with the bibliographical materials will result in failure of the examination.

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.

Any initiatives suggested and/or organised by the professors (educational visits, seminars, book presentations) are to be regarded as parts of the course and are taken into account in the assessment.

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Message for students with Specific Learning Disabilities (SLD), or temporary/permanent disabilities. They are strongly encouraged to contact the relevant University office in good time (https://site.unibo.it/studenti-con-disabilita-e-dsa/it). This office will propose any necessary accommodations to the students involved. These accommodations must be submitted to the professor for approval at least fifteen days in advance; the professor will evaluate their appropriateness, also in relation to the learning objectives of the course.

Office hours

See the website of Stefano Manganaro

See the website of Elisa Tosi Brandi