MEDIEVAL HISTORY OF ART AND ARCHITECTURE
cod. 1006649

Academic year 2019/20
1° year of course - Second semester
Professor responsible for the course unit
CALZONA Arturo
integrated course unit
12 credits
hub: PARMA
course unit
in ITALIAN

Course unit structured in the following modules:

Learning objectives

STORIA DELL’ARTE MEDIEVALE
The course aims to provide tools of analysis, knowledge, and ability to recognize stylistic and philological works concerning the earthquake of 1117 and the consequent reconstruction in the Po Valley. Topics and peculiar aspects of specific emergencies will be explored during the course in order to provide the tools to move from a particular case study to a more general framework and viceversa. Moreover, great importance will be given to methods of analysis and construction of critical debate. Besides the course will gradually deepen, through seminar discussions, the readings provided during the regular course with the aim to improve student’s ability to learn and to expose.
ICONOGRAFIA E ICONOLOGIA MEDIEVALE
This course provides the methodological tools for the recognition of the subjects represented in the works analyzed in order to properly contextualize the meaning of the images in their historical and cultural context.

Prerequisites

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Course unit content

STORIA DELL’ARTE MEDIEVALE
The course will focus on the earthquake of 1117, january 3 and the reconstruction of cathedrals and abbeys in the Po Valley but also in North Italy . Religious buildings Emilia will be firstly examined: the cathedral of Piacenza, Parma, Modena, Mantova, Verona, Cremona, the abbey church of San Benedetto Po, Nonantola, San Savino and sant’Eufemia in Piacenza, Sant’Ambrogio in Milan.
ICONOGRAFIA E ICONOLOGIA MEDIEVALE
The course will be divided into two parts: the first will focus on the biblical and patristic texts as the primary source of the Medieval iconography; the second part will examine some Italian and European medieval works or manufacts to recognize characters and scenes depicted and, finally, to proceed to iconological analysis in order to understand, by a correct methodological approach, their meaning in the historical context.

Full programme

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Bibliography

STORIA DELL’ARTE MEDIEVALE
For those who have never do the exam of history of medieval-art is required the study of a handbook (except Argan’s one) from the Arch oh Costantine to Giotto included.
For those who have already taken History of Medieval Art and have attended the course:
C. TOSCO, L’architettura medievale in Italia, 600-1200, Bologna, Il Mulino, 2016.
E. SILVESTRI, Una rilettura delle fasi costruttive del duomo di Modena, in «Atti e Memorie», s. XI, XXXV, 2013, pp. 117-149 (photocopies in secretary).
F. CODEN, “Terremotus maximus fuit”: il sisma del 1117 e l’architettura medioevale dell’area veronese, in “Arte veneta”, 67 (2010), pp. 7-24; on-line on “Reti medievali”, www.retimedievali.it.
For those who do not attend the course, they have to add:
A. CALZONA, Il cantiere medievale della cattedrale di Cremona, Cinisello Balsamo (MI), Silvana Editoriale, 2009
ICONOGRAFIA E ICONOLOGIA MEDIEVALE
For those who have never taken History of Medieval Art is required the study of a handbook (except Argan’s one) from the Arch oh Costantine to Giotto included.
For those who have already taken History of Medieval Art and have attended the course:
J. BASCHET, L’iconografia medievale, Milano, Jaca Book, 2014
W. SCHENKLUHN, Iconografia e iconologia dell’architettura medievale, in L’arte medievale nel contesto. 300-1300. Funzioni, iconografia, tecniche, a cura di P. Piva, Milano, Jaca Book, 2006, pp. 59-78
M. BACCI, L’effige sacra e il suo spettatore, in Arti e storia nel Medioevo. III Del vedere: pubblici, forme e funzioni, a cura di E. Castelnuovo, G. Sergi, Torino, Einaudi, 2004, pp. 199-252.
For those who do not attend the course, they have to add:
Y. CHRISTE, L’iconografia e il ruolo dell’esegesi, in L’arte medievale nel contesto. 300-1300. Funzioni, iconografia, tecniche, a cura di P. Piva, Milano, Jaca Book, 2006, pp. 275-292.
J. YARZA LUACES, I grandi programmi iconografici, Arti e storia nel Medioevo. III Del vedere: pubblici, forme e funzioni, a cura di E. Castelnuovo, G. Sergi, Torino, Einaudi, 2004, pp. 85-143.
G. ORTALLI, Comunicare con le figure, in Arti e storia nel Medioevo. III Del vedere: pubblici, forme e funzioni, a cura di E. Castelnuovo, G. Sergi, Torino, Einaudi, 2004, pp. 477-518.

Teaching methods

STORIA DELL’ARTE MEDIEVALE
The teaching will mainly consist of lectures using an array of images prepared for each lesson. Besides the teacher will provide readings on the most relevant topics and will lead plenary discussions with the students referring to a series of articles and critical essays on particular issues for which will be organized weekly seminars.
ICONOGRAFIA E ICONOLOGIA MEDIEVALE
The teaching will mainly consist of lectures using an array of images prepared for each lesson. Besides the teacher will provide readings on the most relevant topics and will lead plenary discussions with the students referring to a series of articles and critical essays on particular issues for which will be organized weekly seminars.

Assessment methods and criteria

STORIA DELL’ARTE MEDIEVALE
Students should be able to analyze the medieval architecture, with particular attention to its technical and stylistic peculiarities. At the same time, they should be able to understand the meanings in relation to the cultural context in which they have developed. During the lectures an active participation is expected. The students are also expected to deal with the case studies analyzed in the provided reading of essays and articles, thus sharpening their analytical skills and understanding the evolution of critical debate. The final oral examination will consist of the analysis of the proposed works during the course, in light of the critical literature indicated in the bibliography. During the course students will also be asked to present a lecture on an emblematic case study on these topics through which students must demonstrate to be able to properly set up a personal study, the bibliographical research, the mind-net , thus putting at stake its capabilities in terms of independence of judgment and communication skills.
ICONOGRAFIA E ICONOLOGIA MEDIEVALE
Students should be able to recognize the main medieval iconographies and their biblical and patristic sources. At the same time, they should be able to understand the meanings in relation to the cultural context in which they have developed. During the lectures an active participation is expected. The final oral examination will consist of the analysis of the proposed works during the course, in light of the critical literature indicated in the bibliography.

Other information

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