B5105 - Rural Medieval Societies (1) (LM)

Learning outcomes

By the end of the module, students will have acquired in-depth and specific knowledge of the history of medieval rural societies. Students will acquire a diachronic knowledge of the major historical-political and institutional dynamics that characterised rural societies in the Middle Ages, according to a critical and problematic scansion and with an awareness of the importance of historical memory in contemporary culture.

Course contents

The first lessons will provide general knowledge on the structure of rural society in the early and late Middle Ages. The second part will be a survey of sources and historiography dedicated to a specific theme: “Peasants, knights, lords. Social structure and mobility in the countryside between the 9th and 13th centuries”. During the lectures, extensive use will be made of the analysis of sources in Italian translation or in the original language (Latin) with an Italian translation.

The main addressed themes will be the following ones:

• Aristocracy: structure and evolution between the early and late Middle Ages
• Peasant élites
• Dependent peasants: freedom, non-freedom, serfdom
• Status indicators and differentiation criteria in rural societies
• Seigniorial development
• Militarisation of rural society: boni homines, milites, squires, masnades
• The age of knights
• Rural lordship and social mobility
• Rural lordship and economic growth

Readings/Bibliography

List 1

All attending and non-attending students are required to study the following articles/book chapters (which will be available online) for a total of approximately 290 pages: 

• S. Carocci, The Pervasiveness of Lordship (Italy, 1050–1500), in “Past & Present, Volume 256, Issue 1, pp. 3–47
  
• S. M.Collavini,Signoria ed élites rurali (Toscana, 1080-1225 c.), in Élites rurales méditerranéennes, Ve -XVe siècles, a cura di C. Picard, L. Feller e M. Kaplan, in «Mélanges de l’École française de Rome-Moyen Âge», CXXIV, 2, 2012, pp. 479-493
• S.M.Collavini, ‘Mutazione signorile’ e trasformazioni economiche. Considerazioni a partire dal destino dei beni fiscali in Toscana, in «Reti Medievali Rivista», 24, 1 (2023), pp. 349-370
• M. E. Cortese, Le frange inferiori della cavalleria nelle campagne toscane: scutiferi e masnaderii tra inquadramento signorile e mobilità sociale (secc. XII-XIII), in «Archivio storico italiano», 2021/1, pp. 3-41
• M.E. Cortese, Rural milites in central and northern Italy between local elites and aristocracy (12th and 13^th centuries), in Social Mobility in Medieval Italy (1100-1500), edited by S. Carocci and I. Lazzarini, Roma, Viella, 2018, pp. 335-352
• M.E. Cortese, New approaches to studying aristocracy and local power in central-northern Italy (10th-12th centuries), in Periodizzare il pieno medioevo: una discussione su continuità e cambiamento nei secoli XI e XII, i.c.s.
• S. Gasparri, Mercanti o possessori? Profilo di un ceto dominante in un’età di transizione, in Carte di famiglia, a cura di S. Gasparri e C. La Rocca, Roma, Viella, 2005, pp. 157-177
• S. Gasparri, The aristocracy, in Italy in the early Middle Ages, 476-1000, a cura di C. La Rocca (in The Short Oxford History of Italy, a cura di J. A. Davis), Oxford - New York 2002, pp. 59-84.
• F. Menant, Gli scudieri (scutiferi), vassalli rurali dell’Italia del Nord nel XII secolo, in F. Menant, Lombardia feudale. Studi sull’aristocrazia padana nei secoli X-XIII, Milano, Vita e pensiero, 1992, pp. 277-293
• Ch. Wickham, Figline: nobilimilites e masnadieri, in Lontano dalle città: il Valdarno di sopra nei secoli XII-XIII, a cura di G. Pinto e P. Pirillo, Roma, Viella, 2005, pp. 379-394

List 2

Non-attending students, in addition to List 1, must choose a book from the following list:

• A. Fiore, Il mutamento signorile. Assetti di potere e comunicazione politica nelle campagne dell’Italia centro-settentrionale (1080-1130 c.), Firenze, Firenze University Press, 2017 (liberamente scaricabile al link: https://books.fupress.com/catalogue/il-mutamento-signorile-assetti-di-potere-e-comunicazione-politica-nelle-campagne-dellitalia-centro-s/3493)
• S. Carocci, Signorie di Mezzogiorno. Società rurali, poteri aristocratici e monarchia (XII-XIII secolo), Roma, Viella, 2014 (solo le pp. 227-513)
• L. Provero, Contadini e potere nel Medioevo. Secoli IX-XV, Roma, Carocci, 2020
• P. Tomei, Milites elegantes. Le strutture aristocratiche nel territorio lucchese (800-1100 c.), Firenze, 2019 (liberamente scaricabile al link: https://books.fupress.com/catalogue/imilites-elegantesi-le-strutture-aristocratiche-nel-territorio-lucchese-800-1100-c/3967)
• A. Stella, Ai margini del contado. Terra, signoria ed élites locali a Sabbion e nel territorio di Cologna Veneta (secoli XII-XIII), Firenze, 2022 (liberamente scaricabile al link: https://books.fupress.com/catalogue/ai-margini-del-contado/12884)

Teaching methods

Lectures, with exposition of topics and readings of documents (in italian translation or original language – Latin -accompanied by an Italian translation).

Assessment methods

Students who attend at least 75% of the lessons are considered to be attending.

For attending students, the examination consists of an oral interview on:

• the topics and sources analysed in the lectures
• the texts indicated in List 1.

  For non attending students, the examination consists of an oral interview on:

• the texts indicated in List 1
• a book of your choice from the List 2

Are evaluated: the property of language, the understanding of the topics discussed, the ability to propose connections between different themes.

The vote is expressed in 30/30. At discretion of the teacher, a mention of “lode” can be added.

Evaluation criteria and degrees

The achievement by the student of a full critical knowledge of the topics taught in the course and mastery of the specific language will be evaluated with excellence marks. A mnemonic knowledge of the matter and synthesis and analysis skills articulated in a language not always appropriate will lead to discrete evaluations. Inappropriate formative and/or inappropriate language will lead to just sufficient marks. Serious formative errors, inappropriate language, lack of orientation within the bibliographic materials provided by the course will be negatively evaluated.

This course is a component of the Integrated Course SOCIETÀ RURALE E SOCIETÀ URBANA NEL MEDIOEVO (12 CFU). If the student has the integrated course (12 CFU) in his study plan, the final mark will result from the arithmetic mean of the marks obtained in the two components (B5105 SOCIETÀ RURALI MEDIEVALI +B5106 SOCIETÀ CITTADINE MEDIEVALI)

Teaching tools

Reproductions or editions of the sources analysed in class will be made available to the students. At the end of each lesson, the corresponding power point will be uploaded to Virtuale.

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: Service for Students with Disabilities and SLD [https://site.unibo.it/studenti-con-disabilita-e-dsa/en] [https://site.unibo.it/studenti-con-disabilita-e-dsa/en]

Office hours

See the website of Maria Elena Cortese