Learning objectives
The course aims to provide analysis tools, knowledge and stylistic-philological recognition skills of the works analyzed in relation to the transition between Romanesque and Gothic Art. Topics and specific aspects of individual emergencies will be analyzed in order to provide the tools to move from a particular case to a general framework and vice versa. In addition to this, great importance will be given to the methods of analysis and construction of the critical debate. Throughout the course, the readings will be examined in depth, through seminar discussions, with the aim of refining the learning skills and also the communication skills.
Knowledge and understanding:
students must be able to face independently the reading of a critical text (essay, review, specialist articles, also in English, French, Spanish or, possibly, German), grasping the essential and meaningful aspects.
Knowledge and understanding skills applied:
students will be able to apply the acquired knowledge and will have to develop skills in the analysis of the works in their context, in the public and private museum sectors also aimed at writing written contributions.
Autonomy of judgment:
the link between historical-artistic literature and the direct analysis of the work will lead to the ability to propose independent evaluations and judgments.
Communication skills:
students will be provided with the tools to achieve excellent and specific communication skills, both written and oral.
Ability to learn:
students will be able to develop learning skills necessary for the management of public and private protection and enhancement offices.
Prerequisites
- - -
Course unit content
The course, entitled "A Gothic Revolution?", will examine the origins of gothic architecture (from 1130-1140) in Europe. The analysis starts with first examples in Île-de-France (Saint-Denis, Sens, Chartres, Saint-Martin-des-Champs and Notre-Dame in Paris, etc.); then the the course focuses on the few italian buildings in order to answer the questione “Does a gothic Italian style exist?” (Parma and Cremona Baptistery, Cathedral of Fidenza, Sant’Andrea, a Vercelli, Cistercian architecture, San Francesco ad Assisi, etc.)
Full programme
The course will specifically focus on the following issues:
- Protogothic french churches (Saint-Denis, Sens, Chartres, Saint-Martin-des-Champs a Parigi, ecc.)
- So-called “Classic French Gothic” (1190-1240/1250)
-Italian gothic churches (Chiaravalle Milanese, Chiaravalle della Colomba, Fontevivo, Chiaravalle di Fiastra, Lucedio, Rivalta Scrivia, Parma and Cremona Baptistery, Cathedral of Fidenza, Sant’Andrea in Vercelli, San Francesco in Assisi, etc.)
Bibliography
For those who have never taken a medieval art history exam, integration on the e-learning course of the blended platform on the elly.unipr website is obligatory.
For those who have already taken a medieval art history exam and have attended the course:
R. BONELLI, C. BOZZONI, V. FRANCHETTI PARDO, Storia dell’architettura medievale, Roma-Bari, Laterza, qualsiasi edizione.
W. SAUERLANDER, Dal gotico europeo in Italia al gotico italiano in Europa, in Cathedrals and Sculptures. London, Pindar Press, 2000, pp. 747-775 (riedizione) (PDF on elly.unipr.it)
M. TRACHTENBERG, Gothic/Italian “Gothic” : Toward a Redefinition, in “Journal of Society of Architectural Historians”, 50, 1, 1991, pp. 22-37
(Jstor platform)
For those who did not attend the course, in addiction: W. SCHENKLUHN, Architettura degli Ordini Mendicanti. Lo stile architettonico dei domenicani e dei francescani in Europa, Padova, EFR, 2003.
Teaching methods
The course will be articulated above all through frontal lessons using an apparatus of images prepared for each single lesson. In addition to this we will focus on the single reading and collective discussion of a series of articles and critical contributions on particular issues for which weekly seminar meetings will be organized. Specific visits to individual monuments in Northern Italy are also planned.
Assessment methods and criteria
Students must be able to analyze medieval architectures, with particular attention to their technical and stylistic peculiarities. At the same time, they will have to be able to understand their meanings in relation to the cultural context in which they were developed.
The final oral examination (four/five questions) will consist in the analysis of the works proposed during the course, in the light of the critical literature indicated in the bibliography. During the course students will also be asked to present a lesson on an emblematic case study related to the contents treated through which the student must demonstrate to be able to correctly set up a personal study, from the bibliographic research, to the conceptual map, to the exhibition, thus putting into play its capabilities in terms of autonomy of judgment and communication skills.
The evaluation will be considered insufficient due to lack of minimum knowledge of the course topics.
Sufficient evaluation (range: 18/30 - 23/30) is determined by a minimum level of correct answers; the score (range: 24/30 - 27/30) is determined by the ability to express in an argued way the acquired knowledge with sufficient autonomy of judgment; the highest scores (range: 28/30 - 30/30) correspond to an excellent level of the above evaluation indicators accompanied by appropriate argumentative skills.
Other information
For more information, please contact the teacher at arturo.calzona@unipr.it, or, even better, during the hours of receipt indicated on the site of the Department.
