28955 - History of Medieval Europe (1) (LM)

Course contents

Europe in the Early Middle Ages

This course provides an overview of the events related to the transformation of the Roman world, the emergence of the early medieval kingdoms, and their development. The main focus will be on the European context, although considered in a broad perspective contemplating connections with Nordic and Mediterranean areas. The chronological period ranges from the 4th until the 11th century.

Cultural and religious aspects will be the main focus, together with the problem of defining ethnic and gender identities.

Readings/Bibliography

For students attending the Master's degree course in Scienze storiche e orientalistiche, this course is a module of the course Origine dell'Europa and is fully integrated with the module Civiltà dell'Alto Medioevo.

Students of the Master's degree course in Scienze storiche e orientalistiche cannot attend just a single module. They must therefore refer to the examination procedures specified in the program of Civiltà dell'Alto Medioevo.

Attending Students of the Master's degree course in Italianistica will have to take a written test based on the textbook:

S. Gasparri, C. La Rocca, Tempi barbarici. L'Europa occidentale tra antichità e Medioevo (300-900), Roma, Carocci, 2012.

and then an oral test, based on the course contents and some in-depth readings that will be uploaded on "Virtuale".

Not-attending students of the Master's degree course in Italianistica will have to take a written test based on the textbook:

S. Gasparri, C. La Rocca, Tempi barbarici. L'Europa occidentale tra antichità e Medioevo (300-900), Roma, Carocci, 2012.

For the oral test they will discuss the contents of a book, to be chosen among the following:

G. Albertoni, L'elefante di Carlo Magno, Bologna, Il Mulino, 2020.

I. Barbiera, Memorie sepolte. Tombe e identità nell'alto medioevo (secoli V-VIII), Roma, Carocci, 2012.

E. Bozoky, Attila e gli Unni. Verità e leggende, Bologna, Il Mulino, 2014.

M. Campanini, Maometto. La vita e il messaggio di Muhammad il profeta dell’Islam, Salerno, Salerno Editrice, 2020.

S. Gasparri, Desiderio, Salerno, Salerno Editrice, 2019.

P. Geary, In principio erano le donne, Roma, Carocci, 2018.

B. Jussen, I franchi, Bologna, Il Mulino, 2015.

H. Keller, Gli Ottoni. Una dinastia imperiale tra Europa e Italia (secc. X e XI), Roma, Carocci, 2012.

W. Pohl, Le origini etniche dell'Europa: barbari e romani tra antichità e Medioevo, Roma, Viella, 2011.

G. Ravegnani, Teodora, Salerno, Salerno Editrice, 2016.

A. Vanoli, La Sicilia musulmana, Bologna, Il Mulino, 2016.

Teaching methods

Traditional face-to-face lectures are always delivered through PowerPoint presentations of written, archaeological and iconographic sources to illustrate the process of critical construction of historical narratives.
Active participation of students in the discussion of the texts and problems presented will be stimulated.

Assessment methods

This course is a module of the course Origine dell'Europa and is fully integrated with the module Civiltà dell'Alto Medioevo.

Students of the Master's degree course in Scienze storiche e orientalistiche cannot attend just a single module. They must therefore refer to the examination procedures specified in the program of Civiltà dell'Alto Medioevo. 

Students of the Master's degree course in Italianistica, attending and not-attending, must take a written test, followed by an oral test.

Written and oral tests can be taken both in the same appeal or in different appeals.

To take the oral test you must have taken the written test and have it passed with a score of at least 18/30.

The written test is designed to ascertain your knowledge of the textbook and comprises five open questions. They require precise answers and a good ability to summarise. The first question is marked out of 10 and the others out of 5. The maximum possible result is 30/30.

The following will be assessed:

- The mastery of the contents;

- The ability to synthesize and analyze themes and concepts;

- The ability to communicate adequately and in a language proper to the subject.

To obtain the highest grade, students must achieve an organic picture of the themes addressed by the textbook, their critical use, good expression skill, and the use of specific vocabulary.

A mnemonic knowledge of the subject, and the capacity to synthesize and analyze with proper terminology, even if not always appropriate, will lead to intermediate grades.

Inadequate knowledge and/or inappropriate vocabulary - albeit in a context of minimal knowledge of the course's material - will lead to grades not exceeding sufficiency.

Inadequate training, inappropriate vocabulary, and a complete lack of knowledge of the textbook will be assessed negatively.

The oral test for students of the Master's degree course in Italianistica is a free conversation on

• course's contents and reading materials (downloadable from Virtuale) if attending students;
• the book chosen among the proposed bibliography if not-attending students.

The discussion will assess the knowledge acquired, the ability to synthesize, and the critical skills developed by the student on the bibliography proposed.

Evaluation will take into account, in particular, the student's proficiency to orientate himself within the bibliographical material of the examination to draw useful information that will allow him to illustrate themes and problems and be able to link them together.

The following will be assessed:

- The mastery of the contents;

- The ability to synthesize and analyze themes and concepts;

- The ability to express oneself adequately through a proper vocabulary according to the subject matter.

The student's achievement of an organic vision of the themes addressed in the bibliography together with their critical use, a good mastery of expression, and specific language will be evaluate with marks of excellence.

A mnemonic knowledge of the subject, and the capacity to synthesize and analyze with proper terminology, even if not always appropriate, will lead to intermediate grades.

Inadequate knowledge and/or inappropriate vocabulary - albeit in a context of minimal knowledge of the course's material - will lead to grades not exceeding sufficiency.

Inadequate training, inappropriate vocabulary, and a complete lack of knowledge of the textbook will be assessed negatively.

The maximum score awarded in the oral test is 30/30.

The final exam grade will be the average between the result of the written test and the result of the oral test.

At the teacher's discretion, a mention of praise may be added.

Teaching tools

Powerpoints summarizing the contents of the lessons, pdf files of sources, and proposed readings will be shared through "Virtuale" the University's repository.

Office hours

See the website of Edoardo Manarini