11379 - Medieval History

Learning outcomes

By the end of the course students will have a general critical knowledge of the medieval era, grasp its various components and be familiar with the historians’ trends and latest research avenues, tackling at least some of the most important sources upon which the Middle Ages have been defined. They will be able to state issues and interact critically, with texts and data to hand. They will have come to appreciate the importance of setting categories, languages and concepts in a long-term framework. They will be able to talk about the basic bibliography, showing they can read and critically understand it, linking up to issues discussed in class. They will read history texts in at least one language besides Italian and, in speaking, use the appropriate technical terminology.

Course contents

12 CFU COURSE

The course will investigate some general themes to qualify Middle Ages:

1) Middle Ages idea. The Middle Ages in the contemporary culture.

2) The origins of Middle Ages.

3) The Western Wordl and the 'others'. Islam in the Middle Ages.

4) Society. Social changes and ideologies.

5) Church, churches and religious movements.

6) Europe and Middle Ages.

7) Medieval Countryside.

8) The "Comuni".

9) State constructional processes in Europe and Italy.

1st semester course 

THE METHODS OF EXECUTION OF THE LESSONS WILL FOLLOW THE INDICATIONS OF THE UNIVERSITY AND DEPARTMENT. 

Readings/Bibliography

 Compulsory bibliography for all students:

1) the general knowledge of the Middle Ages by means of a manual chosen from:

- M.Montanari, Storia Medievale, Roma-Bari, Laterza, 2002 (or new impression).

- A.Zorzi, Manuale di storia medievale, Torino, UTET Università, 2016.

- A.Cortonesi, Il Medioevo. Profilo di un millennio, Roma, Carocci, 2014.

- L.Provero, M.Vallerani, Storia Medievale, Milano, Mondadori Education, 2016

2) The study of the transverse slant essay:

P.GALETTI, Uomini e case nel Medioevo tra Occidente e Oriente, Roma-Bari, Laterza, 2014.

ALSO

For attending students: it is also obligatory, using the recommended bibliography, to study one theme (of your own choice) among the followings: 1-9. It is also requested the knowledge of the main events of medieval history, presented during the lessons.

For not-attending students: It is also obligatory, using the recommended bibliography, to study two themes (of your own choice) among the followings: 1- 9.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

- THEME 1: G.SERGI, L'idea di Medioevo. Tra senso comune e pratica storica, Roma, Donzelli, 2005 (or new impressions)+ M.RUBIN, Il Medioevo, Bologna, Il Mulino, 2016.

-THEME 2: 1) C.AZZARA, L'Italia dei barbari, Bologna, Il Mulino, 2002 + C.AZZARA, Teoderico. Storia e mito di un re barbaro, Bologna, Il Mulino, 2013 or S.GASPARRI, Italia longobarda. Il regno, i Franchi, il papato, Roma-Bari, Laterza, 2018 ; or 2) B.WARD-PERKINS, La caduta di Roma e la fine della civilta' , Roma-Bari, Laterza, 2010

- THEME 3: 1) A.DUCELLIER, F.MICHEAU, L'Islam nel Medioevo, Bologna, Il Mulino, 2004 or A.FENIELLO, Sotto il segno del leone. Storia dell'Italia musulmana, Roma-Bari, Laterza, 2016 or L. CAPEZZONE, Medioevo arabo. Una storia dell'Islam medievale (VII-XV secolo), Milano, Mondadori Education, 2016; or 2) G.RAVEGNANI, Bisanzio e l'Occidente medievale, Bologna, Il Mulino, 2019. 

- THEME 4: G.DUBY, Lo specchio del feudalesimo. Sacerdoti, guerrieri e lavoratori, Roma-Bari, Laterza, 1998 or G.ALBERTONI, Vassalli, feudi, feudalesimo, Roma, Carocci, 2015.

- THEME 5: C.AZZARA, A.M.RAPETTI, La chiesa nel Medioevo, Bologna, Il Mulino, 2009 or C.AZZARA, Il papato nel Medioevo, Bologna, Il Mulino, 2006 + A.GALDI, Benedetto, Bologna. Il Mulino, 2016 or A.RAPETTI, Storia del monachesimo medievale, Bologna, Il Mulino, 2014 or N.D'ACUNTO, La lotta per le investiture. Una rivoluzione medievale (998-1122), Roma, Carocci, 2020.

- THEME 6: J.LE GOFF, Il cielo sceso in terra. Le radici medievali dell'Europa, Roma-Bari, Laterza, 2015 or H.PIRENNE, Maometto e Carlomagno, Roma-Bari, Laterza, 2018. 

- THEME 7: N.MANCASSOLA, L'azienda curtense tra Langobardia e Romania. Rapporto di lavoro e patti colonici dall'eta' carolingia al Mille, Bologna, CLUEB, 2008 or L.PROVERO, Contadini e potere nel Medioevo, Roma, Carocci, 2020 or A.CORTONESI, G.PICCINNI, Medioevo delle campagne. Rapporti di lavoro, politica agraria, protesta contadina, Roma, Viella, 2006.

- THEME 8: F.MENANT, L'Italia dei Comuni (1100-1350), Roma, Viella, 2011 or C.WICKHAM, Sonnambuli verso un nuovo mondo. L'affermazione dei comuni nel XII secolo, Roma, Viella, 2017 or G.MILANI, I comuni italiani. Secoli XII-XIV, Roma-bari, Laterza, 2015

- THEME 9: I.LAZZARINI, L'Italia degli Stati territoriali. Secoli XIII-XV, Roma-Bari, Laterza, 2003, pp.47-127, 137-179 + P.CONTAMINE, La Guerra dei Cent'anni, Bologna, Il Mulino,2007.

During the class foreign texts of historiographic detailed studies will be reported.

 

  

Teaching methods

The course is based on lessons concerning general medieval history and some investigations on qualifing Middle Ages themes, enriched by the presentation and comment of different typologies of written and material sources. Movie visions will take place. Attention will be devoted to foreign historiography in original languages.

Assessment methods

The assessment method is only trough a final exam, which will consist in an oral exam. This exam will aim to verify that the student has acquired the expected knowledge. The minimum standard of learing required to the student is to be able to place in the correct chronological order the most important events of the Middle Ages, to justify the causal connections between the different events and to investigate the themes that will be proposed by the teacher during the lessons, by understanding the historical italian and international debate (also in original languages).

Evaluation: An evaluation with grades of excellence is envisaged taking into consideration:
- the mastery both of the contents proposed during the lessons and of the bibliography indicated;
- the ability to synthesize and to analyze the themes and the concepts;
- the achievement of an organic vision and of a critical use of the themes and problems;
- good expressive competence and specific language.
A discreet assessment is envisaged taking into consideration:
- a mnemonic knowledge of the contents;
- the ability to synthesize and to analyze the themes and the concepts articulated in a correct, but not always appropriate language.
A sufficient assessment is envisaged taking into consideration:
- Formative gaps and / or inappropriate language, even if in a context of minimal knowledge of the examination contents.
A negative rating is foreseen taking into consideration:
- formative gaps; inappropriate language; lack of correlation within the proposed issues and the recommended bibliography.

Teaching tools

Overhead projector, video and slide projector, audiovisual aids and power-point; materials on web.

Office hours

See the website of Paola Galetti