- Docente: Paola Degni
- Credits: 6
- SSD: M-STO/09
- Language: Italian
- Teaching Mode: Traditional lectures
- Campus: Ravenna
- Corso: First cycle degree programme (L) in Cultural Heritage (cod. 8849)
Learning outcomes
At the end of the cours students deeply know issues and questions of West Medieval manuscript production by the specific study and analysis tools of the codicological aspects; they also achieve a critical focus on the field and are able to locate and date the Medieval manuscripts.
Course contents
The course presents the history of manuscripts and their making from Antiquity to the invention of movable type printing. Particular attention will be given to the physical process, the techniques employed, the context of production and the different forms of the ancient book (tablet, roll, manuscript). The book will be presented as a material tool and as an instrument of the Classical and Medieval text transmission . In this respect will be investigated causes and characters of the book changes between the early and late Middle Ages, focusing on parallel changes in the historical, political and cultural fields. Some lessons will be devoted to the conservation and cataloguing topics, according to the current descriptive standards. In consideration of the topics, some lessons will be conducted in the libraries.
Principal topics: materials and production of the ancient books; parcherment and paper manuscripts (material elements and making); Medieval handwritten book between monastry production and lay workshops with regard to the relationship to textual typologies; manuscript book in the Renaissance; the scribe at work (organisation and work sharing);; writing tools and inks; bibliological anlysis and cataloguing in function of the preservation and enhancing of manuscript book; printed and online bibliographical referencies.
Readings/Bibliography
1. M. L. Agati, Il libro manoscritto da Oriente a Occidente, Roma, "L'Erma" di Bretschneider, 2009 (s. pp.57-120, 149-155, 177-204, 347-379).
2. M. Cursi, Le forme del libro. Dalla tavoletta cerata all'e-book, Bologna, Il Mulino, 2016.
3. J. P. Gumbert, Codicological Units. Towards a Terminology for the Stratigraphy of Non-Homogeneous Codex, in E. Crisci – O. Pecere (a cura di), Il codice miscellaneo. Tipologie e funzioni. Atti del convegno internazionale, Cassino 14-17 maggio 2003, Cassino 2004 (= Segno e Testo, 2, 2004, pp. 17-42); or one essay at choice from Libri e lettori nel Medioevo: guida storica e critica, Roma, Bari, 2000 (or 2nd edition).
4. Other materials distributed in class.
Texts for non attending students:
1. M. L. Agati, Il libro manoscritto da Oriente a Occidente, Roma, "L'Erma" di Bretschneider, 2009 (s. pp.57-120, 149-155, 177-204, 347-379).
2. M. Cursi, Le forme del libro. Dalla tavoletta cerata all'e-book, Bologna, Il Mulino, 2016.
3. J. P. Gumbert, Codicological Units. Towards a Terminology for the Stratigraphy of Non-Homogeneous Codex, in E. Crisci – O. Pecere (a cura di), Il codice miscellaneo. Tipologie e funzioni. Atti del convegno internazionale, Cassino 14-17 maggio 2003, Cassino 2004 (= Segno e Testo, 2, 2004, pp. 17-42).
4. M. Maniaci, Archeologia del manoscritto. Metodi, problemi, bibliografia recente, Roma, Viella, 2002, 2005 (2)
5. L. Canfora, Il copista come autore, Palermo, Sellerio, 2002
Teaching methods
Lectures.
Assessment methods
The oral exam aims at assessing the critical knowledge of the recommended readings as well as of the topics discussed during the lessons.
It will be evaluated very positive or positive the student's ability to demonstrate the acquired knowledge in a personal and critical way, using an appropriate language.
More than sufficient will be evaluated the mnemonic knowledge, expressed with conciveness, in a correct language but not very appropriate.
Sufficient will be evaluated the basic knowledge expressed with inappropriate language.
Insufficient will be evaluated the incomplete knowledge of the readings, the incorrect and inappropriate language, the inability to manage bibliographies and texts analized during the lessons.
For non attending students the assessement methods will refer only to bibliography.
Teaching tools
Educational visits as well as lessons in the most important libraries of Ravenna and Bologna are planned in order to provide practice with original book manuscripts and cataloguing.
Office hours
See the website of Paola Degni