Learning objectives
The Medieval Latin Literature course provides specific and in-depth knowledge in the language and literature of the middle age. Overall, the teaching aims to achieve the following training objectives, according to the Dublin Descriptors:
Knowledge and understanding
The teaching of medieval Latin literature will allow students to acquire advanced content and methodological skills as well as critical understanding of literary texts in Latin. Knowledge and skills will be achieved through attendance at lectures, individual study and possible preparation of reports on specific subjects or in-depth bio-bibliographic cards.
Ability to apply knowledge and understanding
Students must acquire the ability to face the reading of the work of the chosen author with the methodological tools provided during the lessons and to apply these skills to other literary contexts and texts.
Making judgments
At the end of the course the students, on the basis of the analytical knowledge of both theoretical and linguistic and literary systems, will be able to examine and critically interpret the philological, linguistic and literary texts and problems that reside in them, in order to formulate their own hypotheses and independent judgments on the contents and on the socio-cultural context of reference.
Communication skills
At the end of the course the students will be able to clearly express, using a technical language, information, ideas, problems and solutions to specialists and non-specialist interlocutors. They will be able to formulate conclusions clearly and will also be able to explain the underlying rationale behind their conclusions.
Learning skills
The study of literature and the medieval language helps to obtain knowledge and methodological, analytical and critical skills aimed not only at the realization of the final thesis at the end of the course of study, but also at the insertion in an appropriate manner in the world of work tout court and 'teaching in particular.
Prerequisites
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Course unit content
The course will be structured as follows:
a) Medieval Latin Literature: context and overview;
b)Magical herbs, healing herbs. Ancient beliefs about the medieval "herbalist" and the care of the gardens, with particular reference to the gardens of the monastery of St. Gall and through the reading and the comment of the Hortulus of Walahafrido Strabone.
Full programme
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Bibliography
Edoardo D'Angelo, La letteratura latina medievale: una storia per generi, Roma 2009.
Teaching methods
The teaching activities alternate lectures with in-depth seminars. Besides a historical literary overview of the medieval age, the techniques of cultivation of medieval gardens will be illustrated, especially those annexed to the monasteries, in which the hortus was designed according to ancient principles, preferring some types of plants. For this reason, we will refer to Valafrido Strabone and his poem "De cultura hortorum", of which we will read passages concerning some of the richest plants of symbolism and also of healing and magical properties, according to the ancient beliefs of the Middle Ages. The course will be accompanied by individual insights of the students who will produce their own works on subjects of their choice or bio-bibliographic cards. The slides used to support the lessons will be uploaded to the Elly platform. The slides are considered an integral part of the teaching material.
Assessment methods and criteria
The student's work will be evaluated on the basis of:
-Papers presented during classes,
-Papers presented at the final exam, where general knowledge of medieval and humanistic literature wil be evaluated, so as the comprehension of the latin text (context, content and meanin) wil be tested.
The final score will be calculated by the arithmetic mean of the partial scores of the two courses.
A fail is determined by the lack of an understanding of the minimum content of the course, the inability to express oneself adequately, by a lack of autonomous preparation, the inability to solve problems related to information retrieval and the decoding of complex texts, as well as an inability to make independent judgments. A pass (18-23/30) is determined by the student’s possession of the minimum, fundamental contents of the course, an adequate level of autonomous preparation and ability to solve problems related to information retrieval and the decoding of complex texts, as well as an acceptable level of ability in making independent judgments. Middle-range scores (24-27/30) are assigned to the student who produces evidence of a more than sufficient level (24-25/30) or good level (26-27/30) in the evaluation indicators listed above. Higher scores (from 28/30 to 30/30 cum laude) are awarded on the basis of the student’s demonstration of a very good or excellent level in the evaluation indicators listed above.
Other information
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2030 agenda goals for sustainable development
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