The course aims to provide the methodological background and the knowledge necessary for the study of age late antiquity, early and full medieval. During the lectures, some general issues are addressed (the transition from late antiquity to the Middle Ages, the barbarians, the fracture formed by the Longobards, the Franks and the Carolingian Europe, relations vassal-beneficiaries, the manorial system, the reform of Church, the origins of Municipalities) and other smaller areas, presenting a critical sources and historiography.

 Purpose of the course is also to illustrate the iconographic production as a valuable historical testimony for the reconstruction of the past, and in particular the Middle Ages, because it helps to complete the gaps in written sources. Through critical analysis of the most significant images, the course aims to deepen the reasons for the commissions and, above all, mental attitudes with which the figurative representations were perceived by the public, allowing it to seize, of an environment, modes of behavior at the individual level and collectively, to fix gestures, to outline somatic identity, to suggest emotional tensions, to reconstruct the mental and physical landscapes, to penetrate in urban systems, to reveal moments of public life and private life, stimuli and economic differences, upsets and dark needs of everyday life.

Prior knowledge of the fundamental lines of medieval history.

- Knowledge and understanding: the student must show the possession of the mastery of basic knowledge related to: the methods of historical research, the criteria of periodization, the concept of the Middle Ages, the type of sources, critical knowledge both in the general outline of the story early and full medieval, both in a theme of particular relevance within the medieval age, which allows him to orientate the historical debate and to be updated on the current year. He will have, also, be able to apply in specific cases and at the grassroots level methodologies related to historical studies, and above all know the main methodological tools and languages for the reading of artistic phenomena, literary, philosophical, historical and religious.

 - Applying knowledge and understanding: the student will be able to have an adequate ability to frame the main historical problems studied and illustrate developments and lines of inquiry. He will have to also interpret and contextualize in diachronic and synchronic perspective the theme of different types of sources, and in particular of iconographic sources, useful to the historical reconstruction of civilization, the social, political, economic and cultural.

 - Making judgments: the students must show critical skills, that help evaluate and use in an autonomous methods for the historical analysis of written documents related to the material culture of the medieval context, even in a diachronic perspective. He must, then, have a good capacity to collect, select, logical organization and orderly exposition of complex data and documentary information, aimed at an autonomous formulation of conclusions and opinions.

 - Communication skills: the student must show the ability to communicate, including through digital communication tools, the main themes of the discipline, competently using the terminology of the historiographical matter.

 - Learning skills: the student must show that he has methodological rigor, self-criticism and ability to work independently and organized way, by comparison with other disciplines. This will be pursued through the general history lectures, monographic lectures and seminar, reading and analysis of primary sources.

The teaching material prepared by the lecturer in addition to recommended textbooks (such as for instance slides, lecture notes, exercises, bibliography) and communications from the lecturer specific to the course can be found inside the Moodle platform › blended.uniurb.it

 Projector and power-point elaborations are used to qualify the lectures.

Teaching

Lectures.

Attendance

Prior knowledge of the fundamental lines of medieval history from late antiquity to the thirteenth century.

Course books

A. Cortonesi, Il medioevo. Profilo di un millennio, Roma, Carocci editore, 2014, pp. 7-248.

C. Frugoni, La voce delle immagini. Pillole iconografiche dal Medioevo, Torino, Einaudi editore, 2010.

Assessment

Oral examination. The review will evaluate the preparation of the student on the course content (corresponding to 40% of the overall assessment), its presentation skills (corresponding to 20% of the overall assessment), mastery of the issues and critical knowledge of the sources and course books (corresponding to 40% of the overall assessment).

Disability and Specific Learning Disorders (SLD)

Students who have registered their disability certification or SLD certification with the Inclusion and Right to Study Office can request to use conceptual maps (for keywords) during exams.

To this end, it is necessary to send the maps, two weeks before the exam date, to the course instructor, who will verify their compliance with the university guidelines and may request modifications.

Teaching

Any clarification will be given on the examination program also by e-mail.

Attendance

Prior knowledge of the fundamental lines of medieval history from late antiquity to the thirteenth century.

 The students unable to attend are invited to take agreements, also by e-mail, with the lecturer.

Course books

Non-attending students will have to study - in addition to the books for attending - one chosen by the following books:

A. Petrucci, Medioevo da leggere. Guida allo studio delle testimonianze scritte del Medioevo italiano, Torino, Einaudi editore, 1992;

P. Delogu, Introduzione allo studio della storia medievale, Bologna, Il Mulino, 1994;

C. Azzara, Le civiltà del Medioevo, Bologna, Il Mulino, 2004;

S. Tramontana, Capire il Medioevo. Le fonti e i temi, Roma, Carocci editore, 2005.  

Assessment

Oral examination. The review will evaluate the preparation of the student on the course content (corresponding to 40% of the overall assessment), its presentation skills (corresponding to 20% of the overall assessment), mastery of the issues and critical knowledge of the sources and course books (corresponding to 40% of the overall assessment).

Disability and Specific Learning Disorders (SLD)

Students who have registered their disability certification or SLD certification with the Inclusion and Right to Study Office can request to use conceptual maps (for keywords) during exams.

To this end, it is necessary to send the maps, two weeks before the exam date, to the course instructor, who will verify their compliance with the university guidelines and may request modifications.

The teaching materials that will be used during the lectures is restricted to attending students.