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 focus on the theoretical principles of the medieval economic and social History. In the second module (6 CFU) the stories of some Italian cities will be deepened, with particular attention to the exchange network and to the traded goods. Two guided tours to a number of city structures are scheduled (the first at the end of module 1, the other by the end of module 2), in order to deepen 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 (excluding 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.

Program for non-attending students (6 CFU):

- C. M. Cipolla, Storia economica dell'Europa preindustriale, Bologna, Il Mulino, 2002 (excluding 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.  

- F. Franceschi, I. Taddei, Le città italiane nel Medioevo. XII-XIV secoli, Bologna, Il Mulino, 2012.

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 (excluding 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, Gusti del Medioevo. I prodotti, la cucina, la cucina, Roma-Bari, Laterza, 2012.

Program for non-attending students (12 CFU):

- C. M. Cipolla, Storia economica dell'Europa preindustriale, Bologna, Il Mulino, 2002 (a esclusione dei capitoli VII e VIII della Parte seconda).

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

- M. Montanari, Gusti del Medioevo. I prodotti, la cucina, la cucina, Roma-Bari, Laterza, 2012.

- F. Franceschi, Ilaria Taddei, Le città italiane nel Medioevo. XII-XIV secoli, Bologna, Il Mulino, 2012.

- 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.

Assessment methods

Attending students:

The verification of learning consists of an oral discussion about the course texts and the lesson content.

With regard to the verification of the 12 CFU exam, the student can present the whole program (module 1+2) at the oral examination, or divide the program in two parts, by presenting module 1 and then module 2. In this case, the program of module 1 will consist of: material uploaded in the online platform + Cipolla + Figliuolo (chap. I, II, III). The program of module 2 will be the following: material uploaded in the online platform + Figliuolo (chap. IV-XI) + Montanari.

Non-attending students:

The verification of learning consists of an oral discussion about the course texts.

With regard to the verification of the 12 CFU exam, the student can present the whole program (module 1+2) at the oral examination, or divide the program in two parts, by presenting module 1 and then module 2. In this case, the program of module 1 will consist of: Cipolla + Figliuolo; while the program of module 2: Franceschi-Taddei + Tognetti + Montanari.

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