MEDIEVAL HISTORY - I

The course is part of the core educational activities of the Bachelor's degree programmes in History. Students are expected to achieve a good knowledge of the history - political, social, religious, economic - of Europe in the Middle Ages, by considering her main features and evolutionary dynamics from the IV to the XIV century. This course provides a basis of knowledge of medieval historiography, supported by direct reading of historical sources, as well as an introduction to historical research and methodological issues.

By the end of the course students
1. - will have a good knowledge of the problems and methods of medieval history and periodisation (Knowledge and understanding);
- will have a good knowledge of the different forms of secular and ecclesiastical power, social and religious structures, and their evolution (Knowledge and understanding)
- will have a basic knowledge of the economic trends and conjunctures in the medieval age (Knowledge and understanding);
2. - will be able to identify persistence, developments and transformations in medieval societies (Ability to apply knowledge and understanding);
3. - will be able to contextualize and critically consider the sources analysed during class, framing them in the historiographical debate (Autonomy of judgement)
4. - will have to acquire an appropriate lexicon and to consolidate their skills and ability to communicate what they know (Communication skills);
5. -will be able to understand and critically analyse the complexity of historical developments in relation to different historical periods (Learning skills).

Ability to correctly read and critically understand modern bibliography in the historical field.

The end of the Ancient World and the birth of the early medieval societies: The transformation of the Roman world; the spread of Christianity; the emergence of monasticism; the barbarian kingdoms.
Byzantium, Byzantine Italy and the Lombards.
The birth and spread of Islam.
The Carolingian Age.
The age of fragmentation and local powers; the evolution of rural lordship and the chivalry; the feudal monarchies.

Attending students:
1. Teaching materials provided in classroom and available online (ISA);
2. One of the following texts:
a) R. Bordone, G. Sergi, Dieci secoli di Medioevo, Einaudi, Torino, 2009;
b) A. Cortonesi, Il Medioevo. Profilo di un millennio, Carocci, Roma, 2008 (and later editions);
c) L. Provero, M. Vallerani, Storia medievale, Le Monnier-Mondadori, Milano, 2016;
d) A. Zorzi, Manuale di storia medievale, Utet, Novara, 2016.

Non attending students:
1. One of the following texts:
a) R. Bordone, G. Sergi, Dieci secoli di Medioevo, Einaudi, Torino, 2009;
b) A. Cortonesi, Il Medioevo. Profilo di un millennio, Carocci, Roma, 2008 (and later editions);
c) L. Provero, M. Vallerani, Storia medievale, Le Monnier-Mondadori, Milano, 2016;
d) A. Zorzi, Manuale di storia medievale, Utet, Novara, 2016.

2. G. Sergi, L'idea di medioevo. Fra storia e senso comune, Roma, Donzelli, 1998-2005;

3. One of the following texts:
- M. Ascheri, Medioevo del potere, Bologna, Il Mulino, 2005 (Le vie della civilta). In alternativa si può utilizzare M. Ascheri, Istituzioni medievali, Bologna, Il Mulino, 1999 (and later editions);
- M. Bloch, La società feudale, Torino, Einaudi, 1949 (and later editions);
- M. Bloch, I caratteri originali della storia rurale francese, Torino, Einaudi, 1973 (and later editions);
- G. Luzzatto, Breve storia economica dell'Italia medievale, Torino, Einaudi, 1958 (and later editions);
- G. Tabacco, Egemonie sociali e strutture del potere nel medioevo italiano, Torino 1979.

Oral or written exam at the end of the course according to the calendar. Students are expected:
- to know the main features of the periodization in the Middle Ages; the evolution of power forms and the social structures in their historical transformation; religious and ecclesiastical developments; economic cycles and conjunctures (TRENDS?);
- to connect and compare in an appropriate way the different features of the Middle Ages.
They will acquire independence of judgement by analyzing critically primary and secondary sources and the ability to communicate what they have learnt by using the suitable vocabulary.

The course will be held over 60 hours (12 ECTS) and classes will be focused on archival sources and historical researches in order to learn how to analyse critically history processes and to frame hypotheses and interpretation of facts as proposed by chosen topics.

written and oral