44281 - Latin Palaeography and Diplomatics (1)

Learning outcomes

At the end of the course the student will get the skills necessary for reading, comprehension, dating and realising the critical edition of manuscripts.

Course contents

The course will provide a general profile of the discipline, that will allow students to understand its guidelines and its methods, by the analysis of the main stages of Latine scripture, from the Antiquity to the Middle Ages, in the documentary and book field. It will also give students technical and practical tools for reading and analysis of a written text.

The course will be based on two levels of 30 hours each:

Module A (L. Iannacci):

Hints of the History of Palaeography : from the beginning of the discipline to the method of classification of the Nuveau Traité to the Palaeography of the XX century: the studies of French School of Jean Mallon, Robert Marichal and Charles Perrat, the Italian school (Luigi Schiaparelli and Giulio Battelli), up the studies of Giorgio Cencetti.

Main concepts : writing tools, the material aspect of the manuscript texts, hints of Codicology, differences among books', documents' and chancellery' writings. Introduction to the History of Latin scripture: the graphical unity of the Roman world (with great attention to the link between writing and law), starting from the analysis of Latin scripture.

Module B (M. Modesti)

Hints of History and evolution of the Latin scripture , through its main book, documentary and chancellery expressions and in its relationship with the social and historical context: the medieval graphical particularism, the graphical unity of the Carolingian and Gothic world, the scriptures of the Humanistic period up to the invention of the press; the evolution of the Medieval abbreviation system. Dating and localization of a manuscript: hint of medieval chronology, problems and matters of method.

The both modules will be accompanied by practical exercises of reading, transcription, analysis and dating of manuscripts, held on reproductions of original manuscripts taken from library and documentary sources, with special attention to the medieval written production and on the private documents of Bologna of X-XIIth centuries.

Readings/Bibliography

1) Attenders

G. Cencetti, Paleografia latina, Roma Jouvence, last ed.

R. Simone, La Terza Fase. Forme di sapere che stiamo perdendo, Bari 2003

Didactic material provided during the course.

 

Optional readings:

Norme per le pubblicazioni dell'Istituto storico italiano , in «Bullettino dell'Istituto Storico Italiano», 28 (1906), pp. VII-XXIV, available on line: < http://scrineum.unipv.it/biblioteca/dossier1-bullettino-1906.pdf>

G. Feo, Le carte bolognesi del secolo XI, Istituto Storico Italiano per il Medio Evo (Regesta chartarum, 53*), in particolare Introduzione, pp. xi-xxii e Avvertenza, pp. lxii-lxiv

2) Unattenders

G. Cencetti, Paleografia latina, Roma Jouvence, last ed.

R. Simone, La Terza Fase. Forme di sapere che stiamo perdendo, Bari 2003

B. Bischoff, Paleografia latina: antichità e medioevo, italian version a c. di G. Mantovani e S. Zamponi, Antenore, Padova 1992, pp. 7-67, 255-340 or original german version Pälaographie des römischen Altertums und des abendlandischen Mittelalters, Erich Schmidt Verlag, Berlin 1986

Optional readings:

G. Cencetti , Scriptoria e scritture del monachesimo benedettino, in Il monachesimo nell'alto medioevo e la formazione della civiltà occidentale, Settimane di studio del Centro italiano di studi sull'alto medioevo, IV, Spoleto 1957, pp. 171-224

G. Nicolaj, Alle origini della minuscola notarile italiana e dei suoi caratteri storici, in «Scrittura e civiltà», 10 (1986), pp. 49-82

G. Orlandelli, I testi manoscritti, in Alma Mater Librorum. Nove secoli di editoria bolognese per l'Università, Bologna 1988, pp. 15-49, now in Id., Scritti di paleografia e diplomatica, a cura di Roberto Ferrara, Giovanni Feo, Bologna, 1994 (Istituto per la storia dell'Università di Bologna, Opere dei maestri, 7), pp. 325-341

Teaching methods

Frontal lessons and practical exercises of reading, transcription, analysis and dating of manuscript texts, held on reproductions of original manuscripts taken from library and documentary sources (Xth-XIIth cent.).

Assessment methods

The exam will be taken in a unique session for the both Modules (A and B); the exam will be different for attenders and unattenders.

1)Attenders : written test.

The aim of the written test is the transcription of a documentary source using the methods and the critical tools acquired during the lessons.

There will be evaluated, in particular, the critical abilities demonstrated in the transcription, above all in the cases of problematic points in the texts.

2) Unattenders : oral examination.

It will be evaluated the knowledge and the comprehension of the method of the discipline, and also the knowledge of the main steps of the History of Latin Palaeography from Antiquity to the invention of the press, with particular attention to the studied bibliography. Particular attention will be given to the critique abilities of the student, who will have to demonstrate to be able to orient himself into the world of manuscript sources, handing the tools and the method of Palaeography.

In the both cases (attenders and unattenders), a systematic and critical vision of the themes analysed during the lessons, and also the correct use of the specific language, will be evaluated with excellence marks.

A mechanical and/or mnemonic knowledge of the subject, bad structured analysis abilities and/or a correct but not always appropriate language will lead to decent evaluations; formative lacks or an inappropriate language – even if in a context of basic knowledge of the exam material – will lead to marks that will not go beyond sufficiency. Formative lacks, inappropriate language, scarcity of orientation in the bibliography offered during the course will be evaluated in a negative way.

Teaching tools

During the course there will be provided documents' reproductions and critical editions of sources (only for attenders).

Office hours

See the website of Maddalena Modesti