SOURCES AND METHODS FOR MEDIEVAL HISTORY

The course is part of the core educational activities of the Master's degree programmes in History from the Middle Ages to Present, and provides the fundamental methodological tools for the analysis of the historical sources. The objectives of the module are: to provide an in-depth knowledge of different types of sources used in medieval research; to build the necessary awareness of the methodological and practical problems related to the use of documentary sources; to develop, through individual exercises, the ability to draw specific researches in Medieval history through primary sources. Furthermore, the course aims at providing knowledge and understanding of the most advanced topics in the field of the medieval primary sources.

By the end of the module, the students
1. - will have acquired a thorough knowledge of the actors and forms of medieval documentary production, of the fundamental types of documentaries, of the
links between political and social developments and the written sources (Knowledge and understanding);
- will have acquired an in-depth knowledge of the institutional developments of the main Italian communes and their relationship with coeval documentary production and will be able to critically analyze the various related historiographic themes (Knowledge and understanding);
2. - will be able to identify and critically use written sources relating to the period and theme studied for the purpose of carrying out autonomous researches (Ability to apply knowledge and understanding);
- will be able to create links between the different areas of medieval historiographic production with reference to the theme studied (Ability to apply knowledge and understanding);
3. - will be able to properly evaluate and judge the sources analysed during classes;
4. - will have acquired the ability to present critically and with an appropriate lexicon the results of their research (Communication skills);
5. - will be able to fully understand the complexity of historical developments (Learning skills).

Basic knowledge of the Latin could be useful but not strictly required.

The Italian commune: institutional aspects and organisational problems.

Attending students:
1) sources and materials offered during the lessons;
2) P. Cammarosano, Italia medievale. Struttura e geografia delle fonti scritte, Roma, La Nuova Italia Scientifica (NIS) 1991, or Carocci, 1998;
3) G. Milani, I comuni italiani: XII-XIV secolo, Roma-Bari, Laterza, 2007 (or later editions; digital edition 2015);
4) F. Menant, L'Italia dei comuni (1100-1350), Roma, Viella, 2011, or, as an alternative, C. Wickham, Sonnambuli verso un nuovo mondo. L'affermazione dei comuni italiani nel XII secolo, Roma, Viella, 2017.
Further information will be offered during the course.

Non attending students:
1) P. Cammarosano, Italia medievale. Struttura e geografia delle fonti scritte, Roma, La Nuova Italia Scientifica (NIS) 1991, or Carocci, 1998;
2) G. Milani, I comuni italiani: XII-XIV secolo, Roma-Bari, Laterza, 2007 (or later editions; digital edition 2015);
3) F. Menant, L'Italia dei comuni (1100-1350), Roma, Viella, 2011, or, as an alternative, C. Wickham, Sonnambuli verso un nuovo mondo. L'affermazione dei comuni italiani nel XII secolo, Roma, Viella, 2017;
4) one or two readings to be selected with the teacher after having chosen the topic of the paper.
It is warmly suggested reading P. Cammarosano, Guida allo studio della storia medievale, Roma-Bari, Laterza, 2004.

Written and oral. An individual paper, centred on a research to draw directly on historical documents, will be discussed in class and it will be considered as the final exam;
 the ability to develop and present a research project;
 autonomy of judgment, particularly in the selection of the most significant source material; the ability to communicate the purpose and results of a research project; the skill to learn autonomously and to carry out autonomously a research project.

Non attending students must define their own specific readings and their own paper's title and contents together with the teacher. However, their paper will be discussed in class as well.

Lessons will be held as seminars. Frontal lectures, reading and analysis of primary sources, discussion of texts and paper presentations will characterize classroom activities. Students are expected to attend regularly classes, where they should actively participate to the general discussion. During the first part of the course students will choose amongst specific topics about which they will have to write their own papers as assignment. An oral presentation and a written paper are required also by all participants, included those who are unable to attend regularly.

Italian

Although not mandatory, students are warmly invited to attend the classes.

written and oral

This subject deals with topics related to the macro-area "Human capital, health, education" and contributes to the achievement of one or more goals of U. N. Agenda for Sustainable Development