The teaching is organized as follows:

Learning outcomes

Introduction to the subjects: what’s diplomatics? What’s a diplomatic document? The basic forms of the document. Reading, exegesis, dating, transcription of the documents. Moreover, the course intends to suggest some standing points and critical reflection tools about structures and specific languages of medieval documentary sources, with particular attention to dynamics that qualify sources production in changing phases of political and institutional systems. The course intends to offer an adequate knowledge of the main historical issues and of the main theoretical and methodological principles in archival science, also in relation with the ICT development.

Program

In the course will be analyzed, by means of texts reading and commentary, the chief typologies of medieval documentary sources, with special attention to relations between documental practice, laws and justice. An adequate knowledge of institutional medieval history and latin is required.
Reference books:
G. Nicolaj, Lezioni di diplomatica generale. I. Istituzioni, Roma 2007
P. Cammarosano, Italia medievale. Struttura e geografia delle fonti scritte, Roma 2000
A. Cappelli, Cronologia, cronografia e calendario perpetuo, Milano [1998]

Main themes of the course are: The archival arrangement: main principles, historical aspects, fonds definition, periodization, relationship between the fonds and the creator of the records. The archival description: main principles, methods, representation models, international standards; finding aids. The ICT role in the field of historical archives.

Reference books:

- M. Guercio, P. Carucci, Manuale di archivistica, Roma, Carocci, 2008
- L. Giuva, S. Vitali, I. Zanni Rosiello, Il potere degli archivi. Usi del passato e difesa dei diritti nella società contemporanea, Milano, B. Mondadori, 2007

Special schedules for not regular attenders have to be drawn with the teacher.

Bibliography

Examination Methods

The oral examination aims at evaluating the student's knowledge, with special reference to the cases of study discussed during the lectures and to the general aspects of archive keeping (cf. the Companions in the Syllabus).

The oral examination aims at evaluating the student's knowledge, with special reference to the the cases of study discussed during the lectures (above all morphological aspects of public and private charters produced from Late Antiquity to the Middle Ages, and all the topic of relationship between archives and Authorities); general knowledge of the companions in use will be checked, as well.