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 2025
- Offered
- 2025/26
- Learning activities
- Base
- Area
- Discipline storiche
- Sector
- M-STO/01
- Type of study-unit
- Opzionale (Optional)
- Type of learning activities
- Attività formativa monodisciplinare
- Language of instruction
- Italian
- Contents
- The syllabus presented below pertains to 12 CFU; for 9 CFU see under ‘Extended Syllabus’. The course is divided into two parts, each corresponding to 6 CFU: the first focuses on the history of Western Europe (5th–15th centuries); the second consists of two in-depth modules, the first on the Carolingian era and the relations between Charlemagne, the Byzantine Empire, and the Abbasid Caliphate, and the second on medieval Venice.
- Reference texts
- 12 CFU:
A) Andrea Zorzi, "Manuale di storia medievale", Torino, UTET, 2016 or 2021 (first or second edition).
B) Giuseppe Albertoni, "L’elefante di Carlo Magno. Il desiderio di un imperatore”, Bologna, Il Mulino, 2020.
C) Gherardo Ortalli, “Venezia inventata. Verità e leggenda della Serenissima”, Bologna, Il Mulino, 2021 (capp. 1-10).
9 CFU:
A) Andrea Zorzi, "Manuale di storia medievale", Torino, UTET, 2016 or 2021 (first or second edition).
B) Giuseppe Albertoni, "L’elefante di Carlo Magno. Il desiderio di un imperatore”, Bologna, Il Mulino, 2020.
12 and 9 CFU: Additionally, ONLY FOR NON-ATTENDING STUDENTS (IN PLACE OF ATTENDANCE)
D) Fonti medievali. Un'antologia, ed. by Tommaso di Carpegna Falconieri, Amedeo Feniello e Christian Grasso, Roma, Carocci, 2017.
The in-depth readings (B and C) are available on the University’s UNICO platform.
Specific information related to 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.
Students with disabilities and/or with SLD who, having completed regular accreditation through SOL, have obtained access to University services, can apply for the compensatory tools ensured by law (e.g. textbooks in digital format; teaching materials in accessible formats: presentations, handouts, workbooks, provided if necessary in advance of the lessons), for which consult https://www.unipg.it/disabilita-e-dsa.
For the request, students are invited to ask the teacher, who will put them in contact with the Disability and/or DSA Department Coordinator (prof. 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): alessandra.dipilla@unipg.it. - 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 on University services, consult the page https://www.unipg.it/disabilita-e-dsa and contact the Disability and/or DSA Department Coordinator (prof. Alessandra Di Pilla: alessandra.dipilla@unipg.it)
In the 2024/2025 academic year, the University of Perugia allowed 11 categories of students to be admitted to remote learning (DaD). In the syllabus, students who may be interested will be invited to verify the possibility of attending lectures via DaD at the following site:
Procedura DAD - Università degli Studi di Perugia (unipg.it) - Learning verification modality
- Attending students: Type and format of the exam: all attending students (12 and 9 ECTS/CFU) will have the opportunity (but are not required) to take two in-course learning assessments, consisting of written tests, scheduled at the end of the parts of the course devoted to the Early Middle Ages (first test) and the Late Middle Ages (second test). If both tests are passed, the student must then take an oral exam on any of the scheduled exam dates. In this case, the oral exam will focus exclusively on the monographic in-depth topic (whose content varies according to the number of credits; see “Reference texts”). If only one written test is passed—or if the student chooses to take only one test—the topics covered by the test that was not passed or not taken will be examined orally, together with the monographic in-depth topic. If an attending student chooses not to take the written in-course tests, they must take an oral exam on the entire syllabus, consisting of the institutional part (Early and Late Middle Ages) and the monographic in-depth topic.
Duration: each written in-course test will last a maximum of 2 hours and will consist of a series of open-ended questions on the topics covered in the corresponding part of the course (Early or Late Middle Ages). The oral exam will last a maximum of 60 minutes; its duration will vary depending on the portion of the syllabus being examined (all course topics; the topics relating to either the Early or the Late Middle Ages together with the monographic in-depth topic, which varies by credits; or only the monographic in-depth topic).
Assessment: the evaluation of each test will take into account knowledge, as well as skills, command of disciplinary terminology, and the logical-critical abilities the student has demonstrated they have acquired. Each individual test (written and oral) is considered passed with a mark of 18/30 or higher. For 12-CFU exams, the marks from the two in-course tests will count for 50% of the final grade; for 9-CFU exams, the marks from the two in-course tests will count for 67% of the final grade.
Non-attending students: Type and format of the exam: non-attending students must take the entire exam orally, with questions relating to: (1) the institutional part (to be studied from the handbook edited by Andrea Zorzi; see “Reference texts”); (2) sources for medieval history (to be studied from the volume edited by Amedeo Feniello, Tommaso di Carpegna Falconieri and Christian Grasso; see “Reference texts”); and (3) the monographic in-depth topic (which varies according to the number of credits; see “Reference texts”).
Duration: the oral exam will last a maximum of 60 minutes.
Assessment: the grade, expressed on a 30-point scale, will take into account knowledge as well as skills, command of disciplinary terminology, and the logical-critical abilities the student has demonstrated they have acquired.
Students with disabilities and/or specific learning disorders (DSA) who have completed the regular accreditation procedure via SOL and have obtained access to the University services may, for the purposes of taking the assessments, make use of the compensatory tools, dispensatory measures and inclusive technologies provided for by law; these must be requested and agreed with the lecturer well in advance of the tests. For information, consult https://www.unipg.it/disabilita-e-dsa
and contact the Department’s Disability and DSA representative (Prof. 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 monographic in-depth study, the Carolingian era and the relations between Charlemagne, the Byzantine Empire, and the Abbasid Caliphate, as well as the medieval history of Venice, will be explored.
For 9 CFU (54 hours), there are also two modules, the first of which covers the institutional part (6 CFU), and the second focuses on specific themes of medieval history (3 CFU).
The first module is identical to the one planned for 12 CFU (see above); in the second module, the Carolingian era and the relations between Charlemagne, the Byzantine Empire, and the Abbasid Caliphate will be addressed.
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.