OVERVIEW

The course in Monumental Arts of the Middle Ages in Europe is monographic in nature. The aim of the course is to critically examine issues relating to the sculpture, painting and architecture of medieval Italy, Europe and the Mediterranean. Particular attention is paid to “dynamic” artistic phenomena such as the interrelationship between different artistic techniques and geographical areas.

AIMS AND CONTENT

LEARNING OUTCOMES

The course aims to provide a solid knowledge-base of the subject matter, chosen from the field of Italian and European medieval artistic production with reference to sculpture, painting and architecture. At the same time, it aims to provide students with a practical methodological example that can be referred to when critically addressing any research topic and when structuring their own path as young scholars. For this reason, particular emphasis will be placed on stylistic analysis, the use of photography as a tool for the investigation of works of art, including from the viewpoint of technique, the identification and use of documents and sources, the study of the subject-matter and artists in their historical context, and the function and symbolic value of the work of art for the patron(s) who commissioned it.

AIMS AND LEARNING OUTCOMES

The teaching of the Monumental Arts of the Middle Ages in Europe has the following objectives:

 - to consolidate and increase the knowledge and methodologies acquired by students during the three-year BA course;

- to provide students with a wealth of specific knowledge in relation to a given subject;

- to equip students with correct, appropriate and professional skills of expression and communication;

- to guide students to enable them to work independently in order to address a subject or topic, a problem, personality or artistic phenomenon of the Medieval period in terms that are critically and historically correct, so as to support and encourage the continuation of their studies and, if appropriate, in the field of research.

- to motivate students to study, preserve and defend these artistic documents, understood as testimonies, documents and monuments of civilisation.

PREREQUISITES

General and specific knowledge gained from passing the Medieval Art History exam during the three-year BA degree course is considered a necessary prerequisite.

TEACHING METHODS

The course consists of 20 two-hour lectures, for a total of 40 hours.

Lectures are held in person and are conducted in Italian.

Attendance, although not compulsory, is strongly recommended.

Teaching is lecture-based and makes use of PowerPoint presentations, which will be made available on the course’s Aulaweb page at the end of the course. In this regard, please note that it is necessary to register on the Aulaweb portal, which is an essential tool for communicating and for access to materials useful for study and for the final exam.

SYLLABUS/CONTENT

In the 2025/2026 academic year, the course programme has the following title: “Giovanni di Balduccio: a Pisan sculptor in early 14th-century Italy”.

The course covers the following topics:

- the Medieval artist: biography and mobility

- Pisa: the Opera del Duomo and the Dominicans, the Camposanto and the complex of Santa Caterina

- Giovanni di Balduccio and the Castracani between the Lunigiana and the Garfagnana regions

- Florence in the 14th century: the works of Giovanni di Balduccio and his patrons

- The Paragone of the arts: painting and sculpture in the Middle Ages

- Giovanni di Balduccio in Lombardy: Milan in the 14th century, Pavia, the Visconti family and other patrons

RECOMMENDED READING/BIBLIOGRAPHY

F. Girelli, Giovanni di Balduccio prima di Milano. La scalata al successo, 1326-1335, Perugia 2023.

A. FidererMoskowitz, ItalianGothicsculpture: c. 1250 - c. 1400, Cambridge 2001 (the page ranges will be indicated more precisely at the end of the course)

E. Carli, Giovanni di Balduccio a Milano, in C. Bertelli (ed.), Il Millennio Ambrosiano, 3 vols., Milan 1987-1989, III [1989, La nuova città dal Comune alla Signoria], pp. 70-103.

M. Rossi, Milano 1335-1336. I luoghi di Giotto, in Giotto, l'Italia, exhibition catalogue (Milan, Palazzo Reale, 2 September 2015 - 10 January 2016), edited by S. Romano, P. Petraroia, Milan 2015, pp. 184-193.

F. Girelli, Giovanni di Balduccio e il sepolcro di Azzone Visconti, in Le residenze viscontee da Palazzo Reale a San Giovanni in Conca, edited by S. Romano and M. Rossi, Cinisello Balsamo 2023, pp. 134-143.

F. Girelli, L’Arca di sant’Agostino e Giovanni di Balduccio. Storia, committenza e paternità, in Agostino e la sua Arca a Pavia. Tredici secoli di storia, cultura, arte e vita civile, edited by R. Dionigi, Busto Arsizio 2023, pp. 123-135.

The definitive bibliography will be provided at the end of the course.

*IMPORTANT*: non-attending students will be required to agree on a specific bibliography with the lecturer, in addition to the one indicated above.

LESSONS

LESSONS START

February 2026

Class schedule

The timetable for this course is available here: Portale EasyAcademy

EXAMS

EXAM DESCRIPTION

The exam is oral, and takes the form of an interview; it will be held in Italian and will be conducted as follows:

- students are first asked to present a topic, problem, monument or work of art of their choice (from within the framework of the programme);

- the commission will then ask them to identify and date one or more works of art and/or discuss a topic, problem, concept, phenomenon, artefact or type of artefact, a context, again within the framework of the course programme.

*IMPORTANT*:

1) PLEASE REMEMBER TO BRING WITH YOU THE MATERIALS NECESSARY TO TAKE THE EXAM (TEXTBOOKS, IMAGES and PWP ON A USB STICK)

2) FROM THE MOMENT YOU HAVE TAKEN THE EXAM FOR ONE OF THE TWO MODULES THAT MAKE UP THE COURSE “MEDIEVAL ART”, THE EXAM OF THE SECOND MODULE (THE ONE REQUIRED FOR THE FINAL GRADE TO BE RECORDED IN YOUR ACADEMIC RECORD) MUST BE TAKEN, WITHOUT EXCEPTION, WITHIN AND NO LATER THAN THE THREE SUBSEQUENT EXAM SESSIONS.

ASSESSMENT METHODS

The exam is oral and involves the use of images from the textbooks and those used in the lectures, which have been made available to students.

The assessment evaluates the knowledge and understanding of the bibliography, the ability to make connections between the topics covered, critical thinking and personal reflection, and the appropriateness of the presentation.

A pass is considered to have been achieved if the student demonstrates that they have acquired the fundamental knowledge taught during the course.

Excellence is considered to have been reached if the student demonstrates an assured command of the programme as presented in the lectures, showing that they have explored and developed the topics of the course with a critical contribution that is their own, argued with appropriate language.

FURTHER INFORMATION

For students with disabilities or specific learning disorders (DSAs).

Students with disabilities or DSAs are reminded that in order to apply for adaptations in the exam, they must first enter their certification on the University website at http://servizionline.unige.it in the “Students” section. The documentation will be verified by the University's Services for the Inclusion of Students with Disabilities and DSA Sector (https://rubrica.unige.it/strutture/struttura/100111).

Subsequently, significantly in advance (at least 10 days) of the examination date, an e-mail must be sent to the teacher with whom the examination will be taken, including in the knowledge copy both the School's Referring Teacher for the Inclusion of Students with Disabilities and with DSA (elisabetta.colagrossi@unige.it<mailto:elisabetta.colagrossi@unige.it>) and the Sector indicated above. The e-mail should specify:

- the name of the teaching

- the date of the roll call

- the student's last name, first name and roll number

- the compensatory tools and dispensatory measures deemed functional and required.

The contact person will confirm to the teacher that the applicant has the right to request adaptations in the examination and that these adaptations must be agreed upon with the teacher. The lecturer will respond by informing whether the requested adaptations can be used.

Requests should be sent at least 10 days before the date of the call in order to allow the lecturer to evaluate the content. In particular, in the case of intending to make use of concept maps for the exam (which must be much more concise than the maps used for study) if the submission does not meet the deadline there will be no technical time to make any adjustments.

For further information on requesting services and adjustments, please consult the document: https://unige.it/sites/unige.it/files/2024-05/Linee%20guida%20per%20la%20richiesta%20di%20servizi%2C%20di%20strumenti%20compensativi%20e_o%20di%20misure%20dispensative%20e%20di%20ausili%20specifici%20Maggio%202024.pd