To show the organization of the course that includes this module, follow this link:  Course organization

Learning outcomes

The final aim of this course, which is a part of the integrated course in Storia medievale, del Cristianesimo e delle chiese, is to make student comprehend the complexity of researching in history. This will allow students to acquire part of the useful tools, which will permit them to individually lead their own researches and/or autonomous investigations.
Moreover, the aim of this course is also to give students the following knowledge:
- general knowledge of the political and social organization in Europe between 5th and 15th century
- knowledge of the current historical debate on “Urban and rural communities in Europe in the Carolingian period”
Through this course students should acquire the following abilities:
- capability of distinguish the different kind of medieval sources
- capability of autonomously analysing sources referred to the subject of this course
- capability of autonomously analysing essays in medieval history written in the mayor modern languages
- capability of autonomously writing papers on topics discussed in class or on topics next to the one discussed during the lectures.
Prerequisites
- In order to follow the topics of this course a basic knowledge of the social and political history of the Middle Ages is asked. Even if it not strictly necessary, a basic knowledge of Latin is welcomed: this will allow the reading and comprehending of the sources presented and discussed during lectures. Latin sources will be translated and discussed by the lecturer.

Program

URBAN AND RURAL COMMUNITIES IN THE CAROLINGIAN PERIOD

The introductory lectures will focus on the historiographical debate on this topic, looking at the entire medieval period. After this first stage, in the following lectures the role of communities in Carolingian Europe will be analysed; a special attention will be devoted to northern Italy. A dossier of sources that will be analysed and discussed during lectures will be also available in PDF format on the Moodle of the University of Verona. During this part of the course the lecturer will be joined by the colleague Prof. Massimiliano Bassetti and form Prof. Rosamond McKitterick, Visiting at Verona University: these lectures will be held in English and will take part at the Biblioteca Capitolare and at the State Archive of Verona. A third part of the course will be devoted to the cultural aspects and to the role played by some communities in this respect. Students will be asked to see and analyse original documents and further information will be given them in order to better understand their importance.

Didactical methods and learning activities asked to students

The course will be organized as a seminar and will be based on the frontal lecture, class comments, laboratories and on the interpretation of recent historiographical works and of published sources. After having acquired the historical and historiographical framework, during lectures students will be asked to work autonomously on some sources or will be divided into small groups. Once learned the use of printed sources, student will have the opportunity to see original documents during two didactical activities: at the Biblioteca Capitolare of Verona and at the State Archive of Verona. Both activities will be organized together with Prof Massimiliano Bassetti, who teaches Palaeography and Diplomatic at the University of Verona and might also be further enriched by the presence of Prof. Rosamond McKitterick, one of the major experts in cultural history of the early Middle Ages. Finally, students could write a paper on a topic related to the course; the subject must be chosen together with the lecturer and it must be handed before the final exam.

BIBLIOGRAPHY (FOR ALL STUDENTS):

The general knowledge of Medieval History is absolutely necessary; it can be achieved through manuals or introductions to the study of Medieval History. To those who have a poor knowledge of the Middle Ages I suggest G. VITOLO, Medioevo. I caratteri originali di un’età di transizione, Milan, Sansoni, 2000; alternatively students can choose between the two more recent books of T. LAZZARI, G. ALBERTONI, Introduzione alla storia medievale, Bologna, il Mulino, 2015; A. ZORZI, Manuale di storia medievale, Novara, Utet, 2016. For those who already have a good knowledge I recommend R. BORDONE, G. SERGI, Dieci secoli di medioevo, Turin, Einaudi, 2009. Students will also be asked to individually choose 7 chapters of the volume Storia Medievale, Rome, Donzelli, 1998.

READINGS FOR STUDENTS ATTENDING REGULARLY LECTURES

Students are asked to choose two books among the following titles:

P. BROWN, Il riscatto dell’anima. Aldilà e ricchezza nel primo cristianesimo occidentale, Turin, Einaudi, 2016; S. GASPARRI, C. LA ROCCA, Tempi barbarici. L’Europa occidentale tra antichità e medioevo (300-900), Rome, Carocci, 2012; G. HALSALL, Barbarian Migrations and the Roman West (376-568), Cambridge, Cambridge University Press, 2007; P.J. GEARY, Il mito delle nazioni. Le origini medievali dell’Europa, Rome, Carocci, 2009; C. WICKHAM, L’eredità di Roma. Storia d’Europa dal 400 al 1000 d.C., Rome-Bari, Laterza, 2014; J.M.H. Smith, L’Europa dopo Roma, Una nuova storia culturale 500-1000, Bologna, il Mulino, 2008; M. MEIER, Giustiniano, Bologna, il Mulino, 2007; S. GASPARRI, Italia longobarda. Il regno, i Franchi, il papato, Rome-Bari, Laterza, 2012; S. COSENTINO, Storia dell’Italia bizantina (VI-XI secolo). Da Giustiniano ai Normanni, Bologna, Bononia University Press, 2008; P. CAMMAROSANO, Storia dell’Italia medievale. Dal VI all’XI secolo, Rome-Bari, Laterza, 2001; P. CAMMAROSANO, Nobili e re. L’Italia politica dell’alto medioevo, Bari, Laterza, 1999; R. MCKITTERICK, History and Memory in the Carolingian World, Cambridge, Cambridge University Press, 2004; R. MCKITTERICK, Charlemagne. The formation of a European Identity, Cambridge, Cambridge University Press, 2008; A. BARBERO, Carlo Magno Un padre dell’Europa, Rome-Bari, Laterza, 2000; T. LAZZARI, Le donne nell’alto Medioevo, Milan-Turin, Bruno Mondadori, 2010; M. COSTAMBEYS, M. INNES, S. MACLEAN, The Carolingian World, Cambridge, Cambridge University Press, 2011; S. PATZOLD, C. van RHIJN (eds.), Men in the Middle. Local Priests in early Medieval Europe, Berlin, De Gruyter, 2016; S. GASPARRI, Voci dai secoli oscuri. Un percorso nelle fonti dell’alto medioevo, Rome, Carocci, 2017; H. KELLER, Gli Ottoni. Una dinastia imperiale fra Europa e Italia (secc. X e XI), Rome, Carocci, 2012; A.A. SETTIA, Castelli medievali, Bologna, il Mulino, 2017; L. PROVERO, L’Italia dei poteri locali. Secoli X-XII, Roma, Carocci, 1998; G. ALBERTONI, L. PROVERO, Il feudalesimo in Italia, Rome, Carocci, 2003; N. D’ACUNTO, ‪L'età dell'obbedienza‬: ‪papato, impero e poteri locali nel secolo XI, Naples, Liguori, 2007; G. ALBERTONI, Vassalli, feudi, feudalesimo, Rome, Carocci, 2015; C. WICKHAM, Sonnambuli verso un nuovo mondo. L’affermazione dei comuni italiani nel XII secolo, Rome, Viella, 2017; A. AUGENTI, Archeologia dell’Italia medievale, Rome-Bari, Laterza, 2016; Giuseppe Sergi, Antidoti all’abuso della storia. Medioevo, medievisti, smentite, Naples, Liguori, 2010.‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬

READINGS FOR STUDENTS NOT ATTENDING LECTURES
Students are asked to choose THREE books among the list.

DOSSIER OF SOURCES: only for students attending lectures. They will be found on the Moodle of the University of Verona.

READING OF AN ESSAY OR ANALYSIS OF A CORPUS OF SOURCE FOR THE WRITING OF A PAPER: further bibliographical information will be given to students during the attendance of lectures; students not attending lectures are asked be meet the lecturer during the office hours.

Examination Methods

The target of the final oral exam is to verify the achievement level of the final aim of this course. The oral exam will be divided into two parts: in the first part students will be asked to answer to general questions on the main topics of the Middle Ages, on the topics discussed during lectures or on topics acquired through books that might substitute the missed lectures. If the first part will be successfully concluded, in the second part questions will be asked on the books chosen by students; alternatively, students will present and discuss a paper (max. 10 pages = 20.000 signs) on a topic that will be decided in advance together with the lecturer. The paper must be sent to the lecturer at least three working days before the exam. Depending on the quality and the length of the paper, it will partially or totally substitute the individually chosen books. On the moodle of the University of Verona the lecturer will publish further indications in order to correctly write the paper. The final evaluation of the course in Medieval History won’t be registered until both results of the integrated course, formed by the average marks of the two parts. The final mark can be registered only by Prof Maria Clara Rossi once the 12 cfu will be acquired and the recording booked by Prof Rossi’s course.

Further information

The attendance of lectures is welcomed. Students not attending lectures will be asked to write an e-mail or to meet the lecturer before exams in order to avoid misunderstandings and/or to choose the topic of their paper.