11379 - Medieval History

Learning outcomes

The discipline aims to educate students to know and comprehend the political, institutional, social, and cultural phenomena, which led to the construction of the special identity of Medieval Europe and of its documental and monumental patrimony.

Students will learn to understand the principal political-institutional and socio-cultural processes of the Medieval Age (in their essential lines); to critically analyse the impact on European civilization of these processes, in the long period; to apply these elements to the analysis of written sources and to the problems of the preservation and valorisation of the material patrimony, both documental and monumental; to synthesize the methodological contents of a scientific historical paper, and to present the results of a research; to approach the study of new topics thanks to the knowledge acquired during the course.

Course contents

The course is divided into two parts, one propaedeutic and institutional, the other monographic in-depth study.

The first part aims to provide methodologies and basic knowledge for the study of the long medieval period by following the most relevant themes of European and Mediterranean history, from the crisis of the Roman Empire to the early Renaissance (5th-15th centuries), which will be discussed with the support of a selection of historical sources.

The main topics will concern:

• The concept of the Middle Ages and medievalism
• The sources
• The end of the ancient world and the arrival of the "barbarians"
• Lombards and Franks
• The Mediterranean in the Early Middle Ages 
• The Carolingian Empire
• Feudal Europe and local powers
• The Empire and the Papacy
• Italian cities: political experiences and socio-economic dynamism
• The New Orders
• The fourteenth century between crisis and innovation
• From kingdoms to states
• The fifteenth century: new horizons, geographical and cultural

The second part focuses on two themes: castles (for the early Middle Ages) and Italian communal cities (for the late Middle Ages), two constituent elements of the medieval landscape and civilisation, which will be connected to the chronological context of the first part (20 h).

 

Readings/Bibliography

In addition to the medieval history handbook (A. Zorzi, Manuale di storia medievale, Torino, Utet, 2016) and the PowerPoint presentations on Virtuale students are required to learn the two books listed below:

• A. Settia, Castelli medievali, Bologna, il Mulino, 2021.
• G. Milani, I comuni italiani, secoli XII-XIV, Roma-Bari, Laterza, 2005.

Non-attending students must also learn a book of their choice between:

• S. Gasparri, C. La Rocca, Tempi barbarici. L’Europa occidentale tra antichità e medioevo (300-900), Roma, Carocci, 2022
• R. Rao, I paesaggi dell’Italia medievale, Roma, Carocci, 2022
• G. Albertoni, L’elefante di Carlo Magno. Il desiderio di un imperatore, Bologna, il Mulino, 2020
• M.G. Muzzarelli, Madri, madri mancate, quasi madri, Roma-Bari, Laterza, 2021
• M. Montesano, Ai margini del Medioevo. Storia culturale dell’alterità, Roma, Carocci, 2021
• F. Delle Donne, La porta del sapere. Cultura alla corte di Federico II di Svevia, Carocci, Roma, 2019.

For non-attending students an online meeting will be held in which the aims and program of the course will be illustrated at the beginning of Course (see "Avvisi" in Teacher web site). Interested students are asked to contact the teacher via email who will send them the Teams link of the meeting.

 

Teaching methods

Lectures and seminars; a visit to the Diocesan Historical Archive of Ravenna is planned.

During the lectures a selection of sources will be presented, read and discussed in order to deepen certain themes and learn about the cultural heritage produced in the Middle Ages.

Assessment methods

The final assessment consists of an oral examination by questions to test the student's knowledge of the topics covered in the lectures and contained in the books. The elements that contribute to the assessment include detailed knowledge of the content of the texts on the syllabus, language property and above all the ability to organise information into articulate answers that demonstrate knowledge of the sources, critical and argumentative capacity. Participation in seminars and conferences in the field of medieval studies indicated by the lecturer during the course are also assessed positively.

For non-attending students the examination consists of an oral interview on the essays and sources indicated in the syllabus, to be agreed upon with the lecturer.

The assessment will concentrate particularly on the skills displayed by the student in handling the sources and the secondary literature in the exam bibliography and his/her ability to find and use information and examples to explain and connect the various themes and problems addressed in the course.

The assessment will thus examine the student's:

- factual knowledge of the topics;
- ability to summarise and analyse themes and concepts;
- familiarity with the terminology associated with the topics and the ability to use it effectively.

Top marks will be awarded to a student displaying an overall understanding of the topics discussed during the lectures, combined with a critical approach to the material and a confident and effective use of the appropriate terminology.

Average marks will be awarded to a student who has memorized the main points of the course and is able to summarise them satisfactorily, while failing to display a complete command of the appropriate terminology.

Minimal and correct knowledge of the contents of the module, yet with lack of significant details and deficiencies in the use of the appropriate terminology will lead to barely sufficient marks.

A student will be deemed to have failed the exam if he/she displays significant errors in his/her understanding and fails to present the overall outlines of the subject, together with a poor command of the appropriate terminology.

Teaching tools

Lectures will be supported by a PowerPoint with images, graphics and maps.

The teaching materials (sources and PowerPoint) will be accessible on virtuale.unibo.it

Students with disabilities or specific learning disorders (DSA) needing compensatory tools will be able to communicate their needs to the Teacher in order to be addressed to the referents and agree on the adoption of the most appropriate measures.

https://site.unibo.it/studenti-con-disabilita-e-dsa/it/per-studenti

Office hours

See the website of Elisa Tosi Brandi