Learning objectives
At the end of the course the student knows the fundamentals, historical, literary and linguistic, of Romance Philology, that is the main aspects of the origin and evolution of Romance languages and literatures (especially French, Spanish and Portuguese) in their most ancient phases. The student is at the same time aware of the basic tools for the criticism of medieval literary texts and is able to evaluate at an elementary level their transformations through the centuries. The course will therefore provide:
1) knowledge and comprehension: at the end of the course the student will have the basic concepts of Romance linguistics and Romance literature and will be able to read and translate the texts covered by the course and other simple texts;
2) applied knowledge and independent judgment: at the end of the course the student will be able to comment on the texts covered by the course and establish links between the different languages and literature Romance;
3) communication skills: at the end of the course the student will be able to communicate and share information, problems and solutions through a specialized and adequate lexicon, as well as in a clear way;
4) learning skills: at the end of the course, the student will have developed an adequate critical autonomy to move independently in the problems and basic themes of the discipline through the use of basic critical tools.
Prerequisites
Basic knowledge of literature and linguistics.
Course unit content
The course will describe the historical and linguistic dynamics that have led, from late Latin, to the formation of Romance languages. With a diachronic and comparative perspective, the most ancient phases of the history of the different Romance languages will be examined, with particular attention to French, Spanish and Portuguese. The origins of medieval Romance literature will also deepened, describing the main literary genres, with attention to the reading, translation and historical, literary and linguistic commentary of some ancient French, Spanish and Portuguese texts of particular importance for the history of European literature.
Full programme
The course will provide the basic notions of the discipline, describing in a comparative perspective the historical dynamics that led to the formation of Romance languages and literatures. We will deepen the key concepts of historical linguistics, comparative method and critique of the text, focusing on the analysis of linguistic phenomena within the linguistic continuum novel (with particular regard to the French, Spanish and Portuguese areas) and more generally on the evolution of Romance languages in their original phase. Through the philological reading of selected texts, we will analyze some of the masterpieces of Romance literature of medieval Europe, exploring different literary genres and emphasizing the vitality of medieval Romance forms in modern and contemporary European literatures.
Bibliography
Attending students will study:
1) the handbook Pietro G. Beltrami, La filologia romanza, Bologna, il Mulino (qualsiasi edizione);
2) the texts commented in class, available on Elly and provided during the lessons.
Non-attending students will study:
1) the handbook Pietro G. Beltrami, La filologia romanza, Bologna, il Mulino (qualsiasi edizione);
2) Alberto Varvaro, Prima lezione di filologia,
Roma-Bari, Laterza, 2012;
3) a book chosen from those listed here:
– Alberto Limentani, Marco Infurna, L’epica romanza nel Medioevo, Bologna, il Mulino, 2007;
– Maria Luisa Meneghetti, Il romanzo nel Medioevo, Bologna, il Mulino, 2010;
– Luciano Formisano, La lirica romanza nel Medioevo, Bologna, il Mulino, 2012;
– Claudio Lagomarsini, Il Graal e i cavalieri della Tavola Rotonda. Guida ai romanzi francesi in prosa del Duecento, Bologna, il Mulino, 2020.
Teaching methods
Lectures with reading, translation and commentary of the selected texts.
Assessment methods and criteria
The final assessment of learning is entrusted to an oral examination that will be divided into a series of questions relating to three types:
1) verification of knowledge and skills in Romance linguistics;
2) verification of knowledge of the literary context and of the ability to establish links between Romance literature;
3) checking the reading, translation and commentary skills of the texts analysed during the course.
The three types of questions contribute equally to the determination of the final grade (in thirties); sufficiency in each of them is indispensable. The exam mark will be communicated immediately to the student. A sufficient assessment (18-23/30) is determined by a minimum level of knowledge and skills in the fields listed above; an average score (24-27/30) corresponds to a good level of knowledge and the ability to establish simple links and apply skills even beyond the examples made in class; the highest scores (28/30 to 30/30 and praise) correspond to developed and autonomous judgment skills with aptitude for connections between different languages and literatures.
Non-attending students, Erasmus students or DSA students are invited to contact the teacher for more detailed information on the exam program and the verification methods.
Other information
The teacher can be found at the institutional e-mail address: niccolo.gensini@unipr.it
