Course program
The course aims to provide an introduction to the global approach to the study of medieval history, with particular attention to intercultural contacts between Europe, the Mediterranean world, and Asia, examined through patterns of exchange, interaction, and cultural blending.
Prerequisites
You must have passed the Methodology exam in order to take the Medieval History exam.
Books
Students will be assessed through an oral examination (approximately 15 minutes) on a book chosen from the following list:
- ABU-LUGHOD, J.L., Before European Hegemony. The World System A.D. 1250-1350, New York-Oxford, Oxford University Press, 1989.
- BARLETT, R., The Making of Europe. Conquest, Colonization and Cultural Change, 950-1350, Penguin Books, London, 1993.
- BENTLEY, J.H., Old World encounters. Cross-cultural contacts and exchanges in pre-modern times, New York, Oxford University Press, 1993.
- JACKSON, P., The Mongols and the West, 1221-1410, New York, Routledge, 2018.
- JORDAN, W.C., Europe in the High Middle Ages, Penguin Books, London, 2004.
- PHILLIPPS, J.R.S., The Medieval Expansion of Europe, Oxford, Oxford University Press, 1988.
- RUBIÉS, J.P. (ed.), Medieval Ethnographies: European Perceptions of the World Beyond, Farnham, Asghate, 2009.
- Storia del Mediterraneo medievale, a cura di A. MUSARRA e P. SILANOS, Bologna, Il Mulino, 2025 (in Italian)
- WICKHAM, C., Framing the Middle Ages. Europe and the Mediterranean, 400-800, Oxford, Oxford University Press, 2007.
- WICKHAM, C., Medieval Europe, New Haven, Yale University Press, 2016.
Teaching mode
Frontal lectures, students’ presentations and class discussion.
Frequency
Frequency is recommended.
Exam mode
The exam will be conducted orally. During the course, there will be in-class exercises with partial assessments.
Bibliography
Students will be assessed through an oral examination (approximately 15 minutes) on a book chosen from the following list:
- ABU-LUGHOD, J.L., Before European Hegemony. The World System A.D. 1250-1350, New York-Oxford, Oxford University Press, 1989.
- BARLETT, R., The Making of Europe. Conquest, Colonization and Cultural Change, 950-1350, Penguin Books, London, 1993.
- BENTLEY, J.H., Old World encounters. Cross-cultural contacts and exchanges in pre-modern times, New York, Oxford University Press, 1993.
- JACKSON, P., The Mongols and the West, 1221-1410, New York, Routledge, 2018.
- JORDAN, W.C., Europe in the High Middle Ages, Penguin Books, London, 2004.
- PHILLIPPS, J.R.S., The Medieval Expansion of Europe, Oxford, Oxford University Press, 1988.
- RUBIÉS, J.P. (ed.), Medieval Ethnographies: European Perceptions of the World Beyond, Farnham, Asghate, 2009.
- Storia del Mediterraneo medievale, a cura di A. MUSARRA e P. SILANOS, Bologna, Il Mulino, 2025 (in Italian)
- WICKHAM, C., Framing the Middle Ages. Europe and the Mediterranean, 400-800, Oxford, Oxford University Press, 2007.
- WICKHAM, C., Medieval Europe, New Haven, Yale University Press, 2016.
Lesson mode
Lectures, practical exercises, and class discussions.
