Corso di laurea magistrale in Storia dell'arte

In line with the specific goals of the formative course in the field of Art History, this class aims to provide advanced skills in the specific fields of Palaeography and Diplomatic by means of a large selection of facsimiles. It aims also to provide the methodical basis for the analysis of the material and formal features of manuscripts, for the recognition of typologies of books and records, for the solution of case problems, by means of practical exercises in the field of the critical edition of records.

At the end of the teaching the student ought to know

a) the main lines of the history of latin writing from antiquity to humanism;

b) the main typologies of public and private records of the latin middle age;

Furthermore he or she should know and be able to identify:

- the main book typologies of the Late Antiquity and Middle Age, with the basis of codicology;

- the main problems of critical edition of mediaeval records.

The student should also be able to read correctly, loosing abbreviations, a simple mediaeval manuscript. He or she should also be able to understand the chronological data of mediaeval records.

The lessons will have a total duration of 36 hours (6 CFU). They will take place in the classroom with the help of projections, will be recorded and uploaded to the moodle platform of the course and can therefore be followed remotely. If the number of students will be not too high, visits to libraries and archives can also be made.

The lessons will be divided into

a) Reading exercises and analysis of manuscripts;

b) frontal lessons in the classroom and during visits to libraries and archives.

The acquisition of the expected knowledge and skills will be verified by means of an oral interview during which, with the help of images of handwritten documents, the ability to read the documents seen during the lessons and the knowledge of the topics covered in them will be tested. The preparation will be considered adequate (with marks expressed in thirtieth grade) if the student demonstrates basic skills in reading manuscripts and in the interpretation of palaeographic and diplomatic data, explaining clearly and with the use of appropriate terms the knowledge learned, demonstrating the ability to apply it to specific cases presented during the examination. The preparation will be assessed positively, with marks from 18 to 30 (and praise, in the case of excellent preparation), grading the grade on a scale ranging from sufficient preparation (fair reading and basic interpretation of palaeographic and diplomatic data), average (addition of greater critical competence in the examination of manuscripts, with the use of appropriate technical vocabulary), high (critical appropriation of the fundamental contents of the discipline, terminological skills, demonstration of autonomy in reading and interpetation of sources).

The teacher will be available to provide further explanations and clarifications during office hours and via email. The meeting can be held, if the health situation requires it or for the student's needs, also by teleconference.

Carolingian Books - Late Medieval Records

The course, after having introduced the fundamental lines of the history of Latin writing and books of the ancient and medieval ages, will focus on the study of Latin area book manuscripts of the Carolingian age (VIII-IX century), both through the use of digital reproductions of codices and (if the number of students allows it) through visits to libraries; another part of the lessons will be dedicated to the study of late medieval documents (XII-XV century) both public and private, with particular attention to notarial documentation. This will be done using digital reproductions collected by the teacher during his research.

The book manuscripts will be studied from a graphic and codicological point of view, focusing on the booklet as a basic component of the book, on the preparation of the page space for writing, on the organization of the page, on the different components of the text, on the relationship between text and image, on graphic forms, on the interferences between contents, forms and functions of the book.

As far as documents are concerned, we will study the problems related to the genesis and forms of the Italian document in the late Middle Ages, analysing on the one hand the drafting phases of the notarial document, and on the other the documents on the register of municipalities and religious bodies. Some examples of documents produced by royal and/or papal chancelleries will also be proposed. In connection with the study of documentary forms, the main foundations and problems of the critical edition of the document will also be discussed.

The student will be requested to read thorough the following texts:

1) B. BISCHOFF, Latin Palaeography: Antiquity and the Middle Ages, translated by Daibhi O Croinin and David Ganz, Cambridge, Cambridge University Press, 1990.

2) P. CHERUBINI, A. PRATESI, Paleografia latina, L'avventura grafica del mondo occidentale, Città del Vaticano, Scuola Vaticana di Paleografia, Diplomatica e Archivistica, 2010, only the chapters 16-29 (pp. 159-387).

3) the teacher will insert in the moodle space of the course some files containing explanatory texts, links and photographic reproductions of book manuscripts and records with the relative transcriptions, which are an integral part of the study material of the course.

The course will be delivered in live streaming (in the classroom, if possible, or remotely) and the lesson is recorded and published on the Moodle platform. Moments of interaction with students (collegiate, small groups or individuals) will be scheduled on line or, when possible, in presence with those who can and online with those who cannot.