OVERVIEW

Medieval history is a basic knowledge for the curriculum in history as well as other teachings concerning general contents. It deals with institutions, people, societies and main events from 5th to 15th century. Insights about themes and methods of researches. 

AIMS AND CONTENT

LEARNING OUTCOMES

Aim of the course is providing the student, both through examples and interpretation of the sources, with the ability to orient themselves in the time and space of medieval history and introduce them to a first knowledge of the sources and conceptual tools useful for the study of the subject.

AIMS AND LEARNING OUTCOMES

Focus of learning is Middle Ages in general picture of European history  and  in perspective of its influence over culture and institutions. Students would acquire an incisive view of this period which is commonly neglected or misunderstood.

For students taking the 9-CFU course

At the end of the course  the students should gain:

• incisive knowledge of essential events, contexts and historical development of Middle Ages;
• understanding of topics about comparison  between Medieval West and other Mediterranean civilization;
• awareness of problems and methods of study of the Middle Ages;
• knowledge of main medieval sources.

For students taking the 12-CFU course

At the end of the course students should gain:

• incisive knowledge of essential events, contexts and historical development of Middle Ages;
• understanding of  topics about comparison  between Medieval West and other Mediterranean civilizations;
• awareness of problems and methods of study of the Middle Ages;
• knowledge of main medieval sources;
• capacity in analyzing and describing  examples of medieval sources.

PREREQUISITES

None

TEACHING METHODS

Lectures will be held in-person.​

Lessons:

For 9 CFU

60 hours of traditional lectures with slides to facilitate comprehension of the lectures on the following topics: main political and institutional events and long-term phenomena (social, economic, cultural) characterising the medieval age; reading and commenting on examples of medieval sources; elements of historiography; typology of medieval sources.

For 12 CFU

80 hours of traditional frontal lessons, with slides to facilitate the comprehension of the lectures, on the following topics: main political-institutional events and long term phenomena (social, economic, cultural) that characterize the medieval age; reading and commenting on examples of medieval sources; elements of historiography; typology of medieval sources.l sources and a historiographic text. Introduction to the typology of medieval sources.

SYLLABUS/CONTENT

Contents for non attending students taking the 9-FU course

Outlines of medieval history, interpretative categories, historiographical updates. Orientation in reading the sources and a historiographical text.

Contents for attending students taking the 12-CFU course

Outlines of medieval history, interpretative categories, historiographical updates. Orientation to the reading of sources and a historiographical text. Introduction to the typology of medieval sources

RECOMMENDED READING/BIBLIOGRAPHY

For attending students taking a  9-CFU course: 

1) Textbook: L. Provero, M. Vallerani,  Storia medievale, Le Monnier 2016

2)  one book of your choice from the following:

• A. Barbero, Carlo Magno. Un padre dell'Europa, Laterza
• A. Cortonesi, L. Palermo, La prima espansione economica europea. Secoli XI-XV, Carocci, 2019
• S. Gasparri, Voci dei secoli oscuri. Un percorso nelle fonti dell'alto medioevo, Carocci, 2017
• T. Lazzari, Le donne nell'alto Medioevo, Milano-Torino 2010 (scaricabile da https://unibo.academia.edu/TizianaLazzari)
• L. Provero, Contadini e potere nel Medioevo, Carocci, 2020

For attending students taking a  12-CFU course: 

1) Textbook: L. Provero, M. Vallerani,  Storia medievale, Le Monnier 2016

2)  two books of your choice from the following:

• A. Barbero, Carlo Magno. Un padre dell'Europa, Laterza
• A. Cortonesi, L. Palermo, La prima espansione economica europea. Secoli XI-XV, Carocci, 2019
• S. Gasparri, Voci dei secoli oscuri. Un percorso nelle fonti dell'alto medioevo, Carocci, 2017
• T. Lazzari, Le donne nell'alto Medioevo, Milano-Torino 2010 (scaricabile da https://unibo.academia.edu/TizianaLazzari)
• L. Provero, Contadini e potere nel Medioevo, Carocci, 2020

For students taking a single  6-CFU course: 

Textbook: L. Provero, M. Vallerani,  Storia medievale, Le Monnier 2016

BIBLIoGRAPHY FOR NON-ATTENDING STUDENTS

Non-attending students (9 CFU or 12 CFU) will add the following essay to the respective syllabus provided for attending students:  G. Sergi, L’idea di Medioevo. Fra storia e senso comune, Roma, Donzelli, 2005.

TEACHERS AND EXAM BOARD

Exam Board

MARIA ELENA CORTESE (President)

PAOLA GUGLIELMOTTI

SANDRA MACCHIAVELLO (Substitute)

PAOLA GUGLIELMOTTI (President)

SANDRA MACCHIAVELLO

LESSONS

LESSONS START

 Lessons will start on 19th september 2023 

Class schedule

MEDIEVAL HISTORY

EXAMS

EXAM DESCRIPTION

During the course, students are offered the opportunity to be tested on their knowledge of the textbook by means of two in-progress written tests. IMPORTANT: THE WRITTEN EXAMINATIONS ARE OPTIONAL: those who do not wish to take the written in-progress examinations will present themselves directly at their preferred examination (starting from the January 2024 session), and the examination in that case will be oral on the entire syllabus (entire textbook + books of their choice)

The first written in-progress examination will consist of two open-ended questions on the topics covered in class by the end of October. Only those who pass the first test will be able to take the second written test, which will be held in the last week of the course. The second written in-progress test will cover the rest of the course programme (EXCLUDING CHOICE BOOKS). The exact dates of the two in-progress tests will be communicated by the teacher at the beginning of the course.

Those who pass both written tests will only have to report on the books of their choice at the exam call (starting with the January 2024 session). Those who only pass the first written test must report on the second part of the textbook and on the books of their choice at the exam. The final exam grade will result from the average of the marks obtained in the three different tests.

In addition to a consideration of the ownership of the language adopted, the assessment is made with regard to the awareness of historical processes and the ability to correctly connote centuries, personalities, events, and long-term phenomena.

ASSESSMENT METHODS

The examination will test the knowledge acquired both on the contents of the lectures given by the teacher and on the basic text (textbook) and the texts of the student's choice.

The preparation will be considered adequate if the student has demonstrated knowledge of the topics of the programme and the ability to refer to the topics with language appropriate to the historical exposition. 

The final grade will be expressed in thirtieths.

Exam schedule