Course teached as: B020982 - PALEOGRAFIA Second Cycle Degree in ARCHIVES AND LIBRARIES
Teaching Language
Italian
Course Content
The course will provide a historical overview of the different book and documentary scripts between the second half of the XIth century and the first haf years of the XIIIth century. The course will also provide an introduction to the description of mediaeval manuscripts.
Mandatory texts to be completed during the first weeks of the course:
J. Mallon, Paléographie romaine, Madrid 1952, pp. 21-29
B. Bischoff, Paleografia latina, Padova, Antenore 1992, pp. 7-52 (Materiali e strumenti scrittori)
T. De Robertis, Questioni preliminari e generali, «Medioevo e Rinascimento», 7 (1993), pp. 161-193 (in particolare 167-174), scaricabile dal sito www.ductus.it sezione Biblioteca ? Articoli (sul sistema abbreviativo).
E. Casamassima, Note sul metodo della descrizione dei codici, «Rassegna degli archivi di stato», 23 (1963), pp. 181-205.
During the course further special bibliography will be notified.
Learning Objectives
This course will provide a cutting-edge knowledge of documentary and book scripts between the second half of the XIth century and the first half of the XIIIth century. The students will gain familiarity with the techniques and principles of the palaeographical analysis.
Prerequisites
Excellent skills in reading and speaking Italian; knowledge of history and of cultural history from late Antiquity to the Middle Age; good skills in reading Latin; basic knowledge of Latin palaeography, codicology and diplomatics.
Teaching Methods
Oral lessons (72 hours course), with presentation and analysis of photographic reproductions of Latin scripts. Seminars in Biblioteca.
Further information
no
Type of Assessment
Written exercises and oral examination.
Course program
Definition and historical ground of Palaeography (research field, methods and purpose).
Methods and principles of palaeographical analysis: writing as a system of signs; relationship between ductus and letter forms; writing angle; size and weight. Writing techniques: formal hand (writing stroke after stroke), cursive hand (currenti calamo scribere); different forms of the same letter; ligatures; majuscule and minuscule scripts; style.
Books and documents: their materials, shape and use; writing tools.
Introduction to mediaeval scripts in Italy from the late XIth century until the first half of the XIIIth century: books and documents.
Main mediaeval systems of abbreviation. Principles of transcription.
Exercises in cataloguing mediaeval manuscripts.