The course aims to provide the methodological background and the knowledge necessary for the study of medieval history. During the lessons, some general issues are addressed (the transition from late antiquity to the Middle Ages, the barbarians, the fracture formed by the Longboards, the Franks and the Carolingian Europe, relations vassal-beneficiaries, the manorial system, the reform of Church, 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.

• General considerations on the broad outlines of medieval history.
• Lectures of medieval iconography (centuries IV – XV): the language of images and historical research.

Prior knowledge of the fundamental lines of medieval history.

- Knowledge and understanding: the students 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 is the general outline of the story top and full medieval, is a theme of particular relevance within the medieval age, which allows him to navigate the historical debate and to be updated on the current year. They 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 students will be able to have an adequate ability to frame the main historical problems studied and illustrate developments and lines of inquiry. They 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. They 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 students 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 students 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 lessons, 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

Teaching tools: projector and power-point elaborations are used to qualify the lessons.

Teaching

The course is provided in mixed mode, or the lessons take place in the classroom and are simultaneously trasmitted remotely within the Moodle platform.

Attendance

Prior knowledge of the fundamental lines of medieval history.

Course books

• A. Cortonesi, Il medioevo. Profilo di un millennio, Roma, Carocci editore, 2014.
• C. Frugoni, La voce delle immagini. Pillole iconografiche dal Medioevo, Torino, G. Einaudi, 2010.

Assessment

The assessment of the learning involves an oral examination.
The evaluation criteria are: the level of mastery of knowledge, the degree of articulation of the answer, the communicative and expressive skills, the ability to synthesize critical knowledge of sources and study texts, and the application of different research methods historical. The students will be asked to provide appropriate examples for each topic studied to demonstrate their full comprehension.
The oral test is expressed in thirtieths.

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.

Non-attending students are encouraged to consult the material uploaded on Moodle (slides discussed at lesson, summary papers, etc.), through which you will be able to deepen the study of the books listed in the "Study texts" section.

Attendance

Prior knowledge of the fundamental lines of medieval history.

Course books

To give non-attending students the opportunity to compensate for what is done during lessons with independent study, the following materials referring to the same contents of the program are indicated in order to promote full understanding:

• G. Duby, L’arte e la società medievale, Roma-Bari, Laterza, 2003. 
• M. Bacci, Investimenti per l’aldilà. Arte e raccomandazione dell’anima nel Medioevo, Roma-Bari, Laterza, 2003. 
• C. Azzara, Le civiltà del Medioevo, Bologna, Il Mulino, 2004;
• S. Tramontana, Capire il Medioevo. Le fonti e i temi, Roma, Carocci editore, 2005.
• F. Senatore, Medioevo. Istruzioni per l'uso, Terza edizione, Milano-Torino, Pearson Italia, 2022.

Assessment

The assessment of the learning involves an oral examination.
The evaluation criteria are: the level of mastery of knowledge, the degree of articulation of the answer, the communicative and expressive skills, the ability to synthesize critical knowledge of sources and study texts, and the application of different research methods historical. The students will be asked to provide appropriate examples for each topic studied to demonstrate their full comprehension.
The oral test is expressed in thirtieths.

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