B027581 - CULTURAL HISTORY OF THE MIDDLE AGES

Italian

The course aims to provide students with some basic knowledge for an autonomous investigation on medieval culture (12th-14th century). The specific theme of the course will be the investigation on a possible medieval mental imaginary. The focus on Dante’s Purgatorio will offer the opportunity of a direct and critical approach to the sources.

J. Le Goff, La nascita del Purgatorio, Torino, Einaudi (several editions); P. Rosso, La scuola nel Medioevo. Secoli VI-XV, Roma, Carocci, 2018.

Specific goals:
- Expanding knowledge through a specific historical-cultural preparation.
- To learn the principles of exegesis and the critique of the sources through the use of simple philological considerations and the use of specialized instruments (repertoires and dictionaries, even online).
General goals:
- Communicate with peers, with the broader community of scholars (and with society in general) on this specifical matter.
- Conceive, project, implement and adapt a research process.
- Master the search method.
- Integrate knowledge and manage complexity, as well as make judgments based on limited or incomplete information, including reflection on social and ethical responsibilities related to the application of knowledge acquired and judgments.

General prerequisites:
Ability to apply knowledge, comprehension skills and skills in solving problems related to new or unfamiliar subjects, included in larger contexts
Specific prerequisites:
General knowledge of the chronological-problematic framework of the medieval millennium. Knowledge of Latin is desired.

Lectures, discussions, comments on the sources, collective reflection on them.

Oral exam which demonstrates the mastery of the research method
The oral exam will be based on some questions aimed at verifying:
1) understanding and knowledge of the historical processes being taught;
2) understanding and knowledge of the texts treated in class;
3) Ability to autonomous problematic reflection starting from the reading of the sources dealt with in class.
It is necessary to demonstrate a sufficient level of preparation in all three parts and to be able to express themselves with the appropriate lexicon.
The final mark consists of all the evaluation marks obtained in the three parts.

The course aims to provide students with some basic knowledge for an autonomous investigation on medieval culture (12th-14th century). The specific theme of the course will be the investigation on a possible medieval mental imaginary. The focus on Dante’s Purgatorio will offer the opportunity of a direct and critical approach to the sources.
Course organization:
1- Cultural history as a research method.
2- Culture and education of secular intellectuals (12th-14th centuries).
2- Jacque’s Le Goff’s La Naissance du Purgatoire: a case of cultural history.
4- Dante's Purgatorio as a source for a history of medieval mental imagery.

Reference texts: J. Le Goff, La nascita del Purgatorio, Torino, Einaudi, several editions; P. Rosso, La scuola nel Medioevo. Secoli VI-XV, Roma, Carocci, 2018.