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90552 - Palaeography Latin (1) (LM)

Academic Year 2024/2025

Learning outcomes

At the end of the course students know the most important graphic typologies and the main stages of the history of Latin writing; they also know the main factors reconnected to the production of manuscripts, both in the books and in the documentary field, from Roman times to Humanism, in Latin and in vernacular. They acquire skills that allow them to read, interpret, transcribe, date a manuscript and also recognize the main forms and functions of a document. Moreover, students are able to critically use the main tools for the study and interpretation of manuscripts and to methodically set the problems related to the critical edition of manuscript sources.

Course contents

The critical study of handwritten sources: problems, method, potentialities and perspective. The course aims at introducing students to the critical study of manuscripts, allowing them to understand the importance of a direct approach to the sources and to know the potentialities of paleographical approach for historical, philological, diplomatistic studies and more generally for cultural studies.

1) Basics principles. It will be examined the general basics of the discipline through the analysis of different types of script, from the origins to XVII cent.; students will also start studying the abbreviation system, in order to provide the basic tools to read, interpret, transcribe and date handwritten texts. The course will develop through the reading, the paleographic examination and the contextualization of some examples and facsimiles provided at lesson taken from sources, both documentary and codicological, of various ages and backgrounds, useful to illustrate the variety of graphic types which have occurred in the history of Latin writing.

2) Problems of attribution. It will be also illustrated the complexity of the problems of attribution, dating and authenticity that the handwritten sources can pose.

3) Critical edition of handwritten sources. Special attention will be also paid to the contribution of paleography to the critical edition of the handwritten sources, and in particular to diplomatics (documents and charters) and to philology (books and codices).

Readings/Bibliography

1) ATTENDERS

  • G. Cencetti, Paleografia latina, Roma 1978
  • P. Cherubini, A. Pratesi, Paleografia latina. L'avventura grafica del mondo occidentale, Città del Vaticano 2010, only the section: "L'età umanistica" (pp. 549-615)
  • Instructional materials provided during the course (for frequent attendees only)

2) UNATTENDERS

2.1 P. Cherubini, A. Pratesi, Paleografia latina. L'avventura grafica del mondo occidentale, Città del Vaticano 2010

2.2 Two essays of your choice from the following:

 

Teaching methods

Frontal lessons and practical workshops concerning reading and analysis of documents.

During the course, a visit will be organized to one or more of the main Bolognese manuscript conservation institutes (State Archives, Archiepiscopal Archives, University Library).

The course will start on February 12nd and it will finish on March 14th 2025.

Assessment methods

1) Attenders (Students who attend at least 75% of the lessons are considered to be attending): the exam consists in an oral test divided in two parts:

a) one or more general questions about the history of Latin writing, on the basis of the manuals;

b) the reading and the paleographical analysis of an handwritten source similar to those seen during the course, with particular regard to potential problems of transcription, edition, dating and attribution that it presents, and using the methods and the critical tools acquired during the lessons. There will be especially evaluated the critical abilities demonstrated in the reading, above all in the cases of problematic points in the texts.

2) Unattenders: the exam consists in an oral test divided in two parts:

a) one or more general questions about the history of Latin writing, on the basis of the manuals. It will be evaluated the knowledge and the comprehension of the main steps of the History of the Latin writing and of the fundamental principles and method of the discipline.

b) one or more specific questions about the two articles chosen by the student. Special attention will be given to the critique abilities of the student, who will have to demonstrate to be able to orient himself into the world of manuscript sources, handing the tools and the method of Paleography.

In the both cases (attenders and unattenders) the achievement of a systematic and complete comprehension of the basic principles of the discipline, joined with their critical use, in addition to the demonstration of owning the competence of the specific language, will be evaluated with excellence marks. A mechanical and/or mnemonic knowledge of the subject, bad structured analysis abilities and/or a correct but not always appropriate language will lead to decent evaluations; formative lacks or an inappropriate language – even if in a context of basic knowledge of the exam material – will lead to marks that will not go beyond sufficiency. Formative lacks, inappropriate language, scarcity of orientation in the bibliography offered during the course will be evaluated in a negative way.

a) one or more general questions about the history of Latin writing, on the basis of the manual. It will be evaluated the knowledge and the comprehension of the main steps of the History of Latin writing and of the fundamental principles and method of the discipline.

b) one or more general questions about the basic principles of Diplomatics, on the basis of the manual;

c) one or more specific questions about the articles chosen by the student. Special attention will be given to the critique abilities of the student, who will have to demonstrate to be able to orient himself into the world of manuscript sources, handing the tools and the method of Paleography and Diplomatics.

In the both cases (attenders and unattenders) the achievement of a systematic and complete comprehension of the basic principles of the discipline, joined with their critical use, in addition to the demonstration of owning the competence of the specific language, will be evaluated with excellence marks. A mechanical and/or mnemonic knowledge of the subject, bad structured analysis abilities and/or a correct but not always appropriate language will lead to decent evaluations; formative lacks or an inappropriate language – even if in a context of basic knowledge of the exam material – will lead to marks that will not go beyond sufficiency. Formative lacks, inappropriate language, scarcity of orientation in the bibliography offered during the course will be evaluated in a negative way.

3) Students with SLD or temporary or permanent disabilities. It is necessary to contact the relevant University office (https://site.unibo.it/studenti-con-disabilita-e-dsa/en ) with ample time in advance: the office will propose some adjustments, which must in any case be submitted 15 days in advance to the lecturer, who will assess the appropriateness of these in relation to the teaching objectives.

Exam sessions are scheduled for the following months of the academic year:

-march

-may

-june

-july

-september

-november

-december

Teaching tools

During the course there will be provided reproductions and fac-similes of handwritten sources, exemples of critical editions and information about the main data-bases and digital tools of paleographical type (only for attenders). Facsimiles can be downloaded from Virtuale website

Students who require specific services and adaptations to teaching activities due to a disability or specific learning disorders (SLD), must first contact the appropriate office.

 

Office hours

See the website of Maddalena Modesti