Unit MEDIEVAL HISTORY

Course
Cultural heritage
Study-unit Code
35066709
Curriculum
In all curricula
Teacher
Stefania Zucchini
Teachers
  • Stefania Zucchini
Hours
  • 72 ore - Stefania Zucchini
CFU
9
Course Regulation
Coorte 2024
Offered
2024/25
Learning activities
Base
Area
Discipline storiche
Academic discipline
M-STO/01
Type of study-unit
Opzionale (Optional)
Type of learning activities
Attività formativa monodisciplinare
Language of instruction
Italian
Contents
The program outlined below is for 12 credits; for 9 credits, see under 'Extended Program.'
The course is divided into two parts, each corresponding to 6 credits: the first focuses on the history of Western Europe (5th-15th centuries); the second consists of an in-depth study of the history of witchcraft and the repression of women for witchcraft in the Middle Ages.
Reference texts
12 ECTS:
- Andrea Zorzi, "Manuale di storia medievale", Torino, UTET, 2016 or 2021 (first or second edition).
- Marina Montesano, "Maleficia. Storie di streghe dall’Antichità al Rinascimento”,
Roma, Carocci Editore, 2023.

9 ECTS:
- Andrea Zorzi, "Manuale di storia medievale", Torino, UTET, 2016 or 2021 (first or second edition).
- Marina Montesano, "Maleficia. Storie di streghe dall’Antichità al Rinascimento”,
Roma, Carocci Editore, 2023, pp. 11-146.

12 and 9 ECTS: ONLY FOR NON-ATTENDING STUDENTS (IN PLACE OF ATTENDANCE)
- Fonti medievali. Un'antologia, ed. by Tommaso di Carpegna Falconieri, Amedeo Feniello e Christian Grasso, Roma, Carocci, 2017.

Students with disabilities and/or Specific Learning Disorders (SLD) who have duly accredited through SOL and gained access to university services can request the compensatory tools provided by the regulations (e.g., digital textbooks, accessible teaching materials: presentations, handouts, exercise books, provided in advance of the lessons if necessary), which can be found at https://www.unipg.it/disabilita-e-dsa. To make a request, the student is invited to contact the lecturer, who will put them in touch with the Department’s Disability and/or SLD Representative (Professor Alessandra Di Pilla: alessandra.dipilla@unipg.it).
Educational objectives
- Knowledge of the fundamental characteristics of the political, socio-economic, and cultural history of the medieval West; understanding of the methods used by historians to reconstruct the past, specifically the Middle Ages, and the main historiographical tools (use of sources and bibliography); familiarity with the principal sources of Medieval History;
- Use of specific terminology related to the subject; ability to contextualize the main aspects of the history of the medieval West, identifying causes and effects of specific events; ability to approach the peculiarities of the Middle Ages with a critical and scientific attitude;
- Ability to constructively comment on the main contents of the discipline, formulate questions, and solve problems through the interpretation of studied topics.
Additionally, some guidelines will be provided for deepening the study topics and approaching historical research work.
Prerequisites
Basic knowledge of ancient history, particularly Roman history. The Middle Ages can indeed be understood as a transformation of the classical and late antique world.

Teaching methods
Most of the lectures will be conducted in the traditional lecture format in the classroom assigned at the beginning of the course; some lectures will be held in a seminar format at the State Archives of Perugia.
Students with disabilities and/or Specific Learning Disorders (SLD), after consulting with the professor, can request accessible teaching materials (presentations, handouts, exercise books), provided in advance of the lessons if necessary, as well as the use of other technological facilitation tools during the study phase. For general information, refer to the University Services page at https://lettere.unipg.it/home/disabilita-e-dsa and contact the Department's Representative (Professor A. Di Pilla).
Other information
Attendance is optional but highly recommended.
The professor Zucchini is available every week; to schedule an appointment (in person or remotely via the Teams platform), please write to the following email address: stefania.zucchini@unipg.it

Specific information regarding the course and teaching materials will be available on the Unistudium platform:
https://www.unistudium.unipg.it/unistudium/login/index.php on the page dedicated to the Medieval History course (Professor S. Zucchini).
Students with disabilities and/or SLD: for any information about the university's services, consult the page https://lettere.unipg.it/home/disabilita-e-dsa and contact the Department Representative (Professor Alessandra Di Pilla: alessandra.dipilla@unipg.it).
Learning verification modality
Attending Students:
Type and Mode of Examination:
All attending students (12 and 9 ECTS) will have the opportunity (but not the obligation) to take two in-progress assessments, consisting of written tests, scheduled at the end of the parts of the course dedicated to the Early Middle Ages (first test) and the Late Middle Ages (second test).
If both tests are passed, the student must take a subsequent oral exam on any of the scheduled exam dates. In this case, the oral exam will focus exclusively on the monographic in-depth study (the content of which varies depending on the credits: see “Reference Texts”).
If only one written test is passed—or if the student decides to take only one test—the topics related to the test not passed or not taken will be the subject of an oral exam, along with the monographic in-depth study.
If the attending student decides not to take the written tests, they must take an oral exam on the entire program, consisting of the institutional part (Early and Late Middle Ages) and the monographic in-depth study.
Duration of the exam:
Each written test will have a maximum duration of 2 hours and will consist of a series of open-ended questions related to the topics covered during the part of the course related to the test (Early or Late Middle Ages).
The oral exam will have a maximum duration of 60 minutes; the duration will vary based on the part of the program being examined (all course topics; topics related to the Early or Late Middle Ages together with the monographic in-depth study, which varies based on the credits; only the monographic in-depth study).
Evaluation:
The evaluation of each test will consider the knowledge, but also the skills, lexical mastery, and logical-critical abilities that the student has demonstrated. Each test (written and oral) will be considered passed with a grade of 18/30 or higher. The grade obtained in each test will contribute 1/3 to the final grade.

Non-Attending Students:
Type and Mode of Examination:
Non-attending students must take the entire exam orally, with questions related to:
- Institutional part (to be prepared on the manual edited by Andrea Zorzi, see “Reference Texts”);
- Sources of medieval history (to be prepared on the volume edited by Tommaso di Carpegna Falconieri, Amedeo Feniello and Christian Grasso, see “Reference Texts”);
- Monographic in-depth study (varies depending on the credits, see “Reference Texts”).
Duration:
The oral exam will have a maximum duration of 60 minutes.
Evaluation:
The evaluation, expressed in thirtieths, will consider the knowledge, but also the skills, lexical mastery, and logical-critical abilities that the student has demonstrated.

Students with disabilities and/or SLD who have duly accredited through SOL and gained access to university services can make use of compensatory tools, dispensatory measures, and inclusive technologies provided by the regulations for the exams. These must be requested and agreed upon with the teacher well in advance of the exams. For information, consult the page https://www.unipg.it/disabilita-e-dsa and contact the Departmental Disability and SLD Representative (Professor Alessandra Di Pilla: alessandra.dipilla@unipg.it).
Extended program
The Medieval History course is divided into different modules depending on the degree programs.
For 12 ECTS (72 hours), there are two modules, the first of which covers the institutional part (6 ECTS), and the second focuses on specific themes of medieval history (6 ECTS).
Specifically, the following macro-topics will be addressed in the institutional history part of the course: the concept of the Middle Ages and the sources of medieval history; the transformation of the ancient world and the rise of Christianity; the Romano-barbarian West; Justinian and the Byzantine Empire; the Arab world and the spread of Islam; kingdoms and the Empire in early medieval Europe; the reform of the Church in the 11th century; local and universal powers in the late Middle Ages; Europe from feudal kingdoms to national monarchies; crises and new developments (14th-15th centuries); towards new worlds.
In the part of the course dedicated to the monographic in-depth study, the themes addressed by Marina Montesano in her book "Maleficia. Storie di streghe dall’Antichità al Rinascimento”, Rome, Carocci Editore, 2023, will be presented.

For 9 ECTS (54 hours), there are also two modules, the first of which covers the institutional part (6 ECTS), and the second focuses on specific themes of medieval history (3 ECTS).
The first module is identical to that provided for 12 ECTS (see above); in the second, only some of the themes presented in Marina Montesano's book "Maleficia. Storie di streghe dall’Antichità al Rinascimento”, Rome, Carocci Editore, 2023, will be addressed. Specifically, pages 11-146.
All non-attending students, regardless of their degree program, must replace attendance with the study of the book “Fonti medievali. Un'antologia”, edited by Tommaso di Carpegna Falconieri, Amedeo Feniello, and Christian Grasso, Rome, Carocci, 2017. See the “Reference Texts” section.

Obiettivi Agenda 2030 per lo sviluppo sostenibile
Goals 4 and 5:
-Provide inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all;
-Achieve gender equality and improve the living conditions of women.
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