MEDIEVAL HISTORY

CODE	65085
ACADEMIC YEAR	2026/2027
CREDITS	9 cfu anno 1 CONSERVAZIONE DEI BENI CULTURALI 11954 (L-1) - GENOVA 6 cfu anno 2 CONSERVAZIONE DEI BENI CULTURALI 11954 (L-1) - GENOVA 9 cfu anno 3 LETTERE 8457 (L-10) - GENOVA
SCIENTIFIC DISCIPLINARY SECTOR	HIST-01/A
LANGUAGE	Italian
TEACHING LOCATION	GENOVA
SEMESTER	1° Semester

OVERVIEW

For those sitting the 9-credit exam, the course is divided into two modules totalling 60 hours. The first module (40 hours) is devoted to an overview of the medieval period (5th–15th centuries) with reference to the recommended textbook: students will be introduced to the main historiographical and methodological trends, as well as gaining a deeper understanding of the relationship with sources. The second module (20 hours) will feature two in-depth studies: one focusing on the central figure in medieval history, the French historian Marc Bloch; the other will focus on the History of food, in particular certain key historiographical themes within this field of study. Students sitting the 6-credit exam will be required to cover only the first general part of the course (first 40 hours) in the exam.

AIMS AND CONTENT

LEARNING OUTCOMES

The course aims to develop a conceptual framewor in order to understand the original past of European civilization in the light of the most up-to-date trends in historiography, to provide a critical reconstruction of the main problems of the medieval era (fifth-fifteenth centuries) and a chronological elementary framework, useful for the understanding of historiographic models.

AIMS AND LEARNING OUTCOMES

As part of the acquisition of basic knowledge related to the 5th-15th centuries, teaching aims to orient toward

the development of a non-generic vocabulary
the ability to traverse the medieval millennium with appropriate questioning and appropriate knowledge of the chronological framework
the ability to recognize the main problematic nodes
the ability to connect the acquired notions with coeval developments in different contexts-political, social and economic, but also literary, historical-artistic, historical-architectural-of human action.

At the end of the teaching the student will be able to explain with appropriate language the main processes, dynamics, facts or key figures (either by role or relevance), with awareness of their incidence in the above-mentioned contexts.

In the 6-credit exam, students must demonstrate that they have acquired the basic knowledge covered in the textbook, developed the specified skills, and are able to summarise the content of the assigned reading in appropriate language. For the 9-credit exam, in addition to knowledge of the textbook, a deeper and more detailed understanding of the historiographical focuses covered in the second part of the course is required, together with a greater critical awareness of the sources and the ability to discuss, using appropriate language, the supplementary readings chosen for the oral exam.

PREREQUISITES

No specific prerequisites are required.

TEACHING METHODS

Traditional face-to-face lectures, accompanied by slides available on AulaWeb, to aid understanding of the material covered.

A summary of each of the recommended texts will be provided. In addition, a list of questions will be provided during the lectures to guide students in their preparation for the written tests (which will be made available on AulaWeb), along with specific instructions on how to prepare for the exams.

Attendance, although not compulsory, is recommended. Students who attend in person for at least half of the lectures are considered to be attending.

Two guided visits will be organised during the course relating to the topics covered in class.

Students with disabilities or specific learning difficulties (SLD) can find guidance on how to apply for services, compensatory tools or special arrangements, and specific aids in the document available at the following link: https://unige.it/disabilita-dsa/modulistica.

SYLLABUS/CONTENT

Program for students both attending and not attending the course for 6 CFU

Outlines of medieval history, interpretative categories, historiographic updates. Orientation in reading a history book.

Program for students both attending and not attending the course for 9 CFU

An overview of medieval history, interpretative frameworks, and recent developments in historiography. Guidance on reading historical texts, with in-depth historiographical analysis building on the topics covered in the second part of the course.

TEACHERS AND EXAM BOARD

FRANCESCA PUCCI DONATI

Ricevimento: Office hours by appointment. Students are invited to contact the lecturer by email.

LESSONS

LESSONS START

Classes are scheduled to begin in the week of 15 September 2026, in accordance with the timetable.

Class schedule

The timetable for this course is available here: Portale EasyAcademy

EXAMS

EXAM DESCRIPTION

Full-time students sitting the exam (both the 12-credit and 6-credit versions):

Assessing knowledge of the program can be verified in two different ways (the choice of the examination method is up to the student):

1) by two written assesment tests (first and second intermediate test), that will take place during the course to verify knowledge of the handbook. Then, it will follow an oral exam concerning the selected texts in addition to the program carried out in class. The dates of the written tests will be communicated by the teacher at the beginning of the course. The oral exam has to be reserved by the student on Aulaweb in one of the appeals following the written tests. The written mark will be the average of the results of the two intermediate written tests (that will be published on Aulaweb). The final mark will be the average of the outcomes of the written tests and of the oral examination; .

2) by an oral test only, that can be taken all at once or divided in two parts (first part: handbook; second part: selected texts and the program carried out in class). In the case that the oral exam is divided in two parts, the final mark will be the average of the results of the first and of the second part.

Non attending students:

Assessing knowledge of the program can be verified by an oral test only, that can be taken all at once or divided in two parts (first part: handbook; second part: selected text/texts). In the case that the oral exam is divided in two parts, the final mark will be the average of the results of the first and the second part.

ASSESSMENT METHODS

Overall, the examination will primarily assess the student’s command of the language used and evaluate their understanding of the course content and the texts studied. Particular attention will be paid to how the student demonstrates an awareness of historical processes, alongside their ability to critically analyse historical periods, figures and events.

The final mark will be expressed on a scale of 30.

FURTHER INFORMATION

All communications from the lecturer will be via Aulaweb.

Lecturer: Prof. Pucci Donati (joining the University of Genoa in September 2024).

Office hours
During the course, both at the end of each lecture and by appointment; during the rest of the year, by appointment.