MEDIEVAL AND HUMANISTIC PHILOLOGY

The course is part of the educational activities of the course of study of Italian Philology, Linguistics and Literature - Medieval-Renaissance, and aims to provide students with essential elements of the intellectual history of the late Middle Ages and philological technique to critically read and prepare editions of Middle Latin and vernacular texts in relation to Latin texts.
The key objectives of the course are: (1) to provide students with in-depth knowledge of specific case studies in medieval and humanistic literature; (2) to equip students with valid methodological tools to approach the discipline; (3) to promote the ability to independently rework knowledge of the texts studied during the course and to master the discipline's terminology.

By the end of the course, students will have acquired the following knowledge: (1) a solid understanding of the relationship between the texts studied in class and the broader tradition of travel literature (13th–15th centuries); (2) familiarity with the complex manuscript traditions of the text under examination; (3) awareness of the various ways in which a "travel text" can be constructed.
In terms of skills, students will develop: (1) the ability to critically engage with the relevant bibliography; (2) the ability to work on case studies by applying the methodological tools developed in critical scholarship; (3) the ability to transcribe and edit a medieval manuscript.
These outcomes will foster the following competencies, in line with the objectives of the degree programme: (1) proficiency in philological methods and tools; (2) competence in the analysis, interpretation, and close reading of the texts discussed in class; (3) the capacity for independent reflection and critical re-elaboration of course themes.

Basic knowledge of medieval history, text criticism, Latin, medieval paleography and codicology. It is preferable, but not mandatory, to have rudiments of Old French.

This course is dedicated to the reading of the Devisement dou monde (Il Milione) by Marco Polo and Rustichello da Pisa—an influential work that profoundly reshaped medieval perceptions and representations of Asia, helping to define the European imaginary of the East between the 13th and 16th centuries.
Through a selection of key passages, the course will offer an introduction to the text grounded in its complex manuscript tradition, which raises a range of philological and interpretative challenges: dual authorship, the absence of an original version, the existence of multiple redactional variants, the active role of scribes, and the layered processes of translation into both vernacular languages and Latin. Particular attention will be given to specific versions of the text, notably the Franco-Italian manuscript F and the Latin versions Z, L, and P, as well as to notable examples of indirect transmission from the 14th and 15th centuries.
Students will also be asked to transcribe a selection of folios from a manuscript, the digital reproduction of which will be provided during the course. More specifically, the exercise will consist of producing a diplomatic edition, an interpretative transcription, and a brief commentary on the transcribed text. All necessary instructions and materials will be provided in class.

Texts and bibliography
The final list of required texts and readings will be provided during the course.
Students will be expected to work with:
(1) Lecture notes and materials distributed in class and made available on the Moodle platform;
(2) Marco Polo. Storia e mito di un viaggio e di un libro, edited by S. Simion and E. Burgio, Rome, Carocci, 2024: chapters 1–3, 6, 8, and 13.
Reference editions of the Devisement dou monde - all available in open access - will be indicated and provided during the course.
Any materials difficult to access will be made available to students.

For all students, attending and non-attending, the examination consists of an oral test lasting approximately 40 minutes. The oral test will be divided into two parts: in the first part, the transcription completed by the student will be discussed. In the second part, knowledge of the topics and texts covered in the course and the bibliography given in the syllabus will be tested.

oral

The final grade, expressed in thirtieths, will result from the average of the written exercise and the oral test.
More in detail, the assignment of the final score will be made as follows:
(1) 18-22/30 = the student demonstrates: (a) just sufficient knowledge of the examination program; (b) limited (but overall sufficient) ability to analyze texts; (c) limited and just sufficient skills of expression and argumentation;
(2) 22-26/30 = the student demonstrates (a) a fair, but partial or disorganized knowledge of the examination program; (b) a fair ability to analyze texts, with uncertainties in exposition and argumentation; (c) a fair command of philological language, with some imprecision in the use of the technical vocabulary; (d) more than sufficient ability in expression and argumentation;
(3) 27-30/30 = the student demonstrates (a) good or excellent knowledge of the examination program; (b) good or excellent ability to analyze texts; (c) good or excellent mastery of philological language; good or excellent ability of expression, argumentation and personal reworking;
(4) 30/30 cum laude = the student combines (a) an excellent knowledge of the examination syllabus and (b) an excellent ability to analyze texts and (d) an excellent ability of expression, argumentation, and personal reworking.

Lectures, open to student participation, devoted to the topics indicated in the syllabus.

Course materials and attendance
All materials discussed in class, along with any supplementary tools, will be provided by the instructor during the course and made available on the Moodle platform. These materials, organised by session, are an integral part of the exam syllabus.
Students who, for any reason, are unable to attend the course and feel the need to supplement their preparation with additional materials beyond those available on Moodle are invited to contact the instructor to assess their specific situation and, if necessary, agree on targeted readings.
Students entitled to access lecture recordings will be granted permission to do so.