The course consists of two modules (36 hours, 6 CFU each), the first is preparatory to the second.
First module: 1) Foundations of paleography and codicology. 2) History of Latin script and history of the book in Italy from the 12th to the 15th century.
Second module: 1) Palaeograohy and codicology in the digital age. 2) Methods and tools for the identification of autographs.
First module.
- E. Casamassima, Tradizione corsiva e tradizione libraria nella scrittura latina del Medioevo, Roma, 1988, pp. 131-140
- G. Cencetti, Paleografia latina, Roma, 1978, pp. 156-166
- T. De Robertis, Humanistic Script: Origins e Humanistic Script: Italy, in The Oxford Handbook of Latin Palaeography, ed. by F. Coulson and R. Babcock, Oxford, OUP, 2021, pp. 511-521 e 522-552
- M. Maniaci, Breve storia del libro manoscritto, Roma, 2019, pp. 61-89
- J. Mallon, Paléographie romaine, Madrid, 1952, pp. 21-29
- S. Zamponi, Gothic Script in Italy e Late Gothic: Italy (XIVth-XVIth Centuries), in The Oxford Handbook of Latin Palaeography, ed. by F. Coulson and R. Babcock, Oxford, OUP, 2021, pp. 411-428 e 429-444
- S. Zamponi, Struttura, esecuzione, stile. Ripensando il protocollo Mallon, in Librorum studiosus. Miscellanea Palaeographica et codicologica Alberto Derolez dicata, eds. L. Reynhout – B. Victor, Turnhout, 2018, pp. 361-382
Second module:
- P.A. Stokes, Computer-Aided Palaeography, Present and Future, in Kodikologie und Paläographie im digitalen Zeitalter / Codicology and Palaeography in the Digital Age, ed. by M. Rehbein, P. Sahle, T. Schaßan, Norderstedt 2009, pp. 309-338, https://kups.ub.uni-koeln.de/2978/
- T. De Robertis, Una mano tante scritture. Problemi di metodo nell’identificazione degli autografi, in Medieval Autograph Manuscripts. Proceedings of the XVIIth Colloquium of the Comité International de Paléographie Latine (Ljubljana, 7-10 September 2010), Turnhout, 2013, pp. 17-38
Learning Objectives
The first module aims to provide students with: the conceptual and lexical tools of palaeographical and codicological work; an overview of the history of Latin script and of the book in Italy from the 12th to the 15th century; basic codicology and cataloguing. At the end of the course, students will be able to: 1) transcribe, describe, date and give historical interpretation to the book and documentary hands from the 12th to the 15th century; 2) give historical interpretation to the typologies of books produced between the 12th and the 15th century; 3) read and comment various models of codicological descriptions, from the modern age to the online catalogues.
The second module is seminar-based. Two topics will be discussed: 1) recent digital and computational methods in palaeography and codicology (through the analysis of some projects and working tools); 2) the identification of autographs (through the analysis of some examples, e.g. different scribes using the same script or the same scribe using different scripts). Students will be assigned a short essay about one of the two topics. At the end of the course, students will be able to: 1) understand recent research projects and new tools for codicology and palaeography; 2) use tools and methods for the expertise of medieval and Renaissance scripts.
Prerequisites
Very good knowledge of written and spoken Italian, of Medieval and Renaissance history and cultural history. Basic knowledge of Latin. During the second lesson students will have to take a test to verify previous knowledge of paleography and codicology.
Teaching Methods
First module: theorethical and practical lessons. All the teaching materials (presentations, plates, transcriptions, exercises) will be available on Moodle. In consideration of the practical nature of the course students are advised to actively participate.
Second module: the second module is seminar-based and requires the active participation of students. All the teaching materials (presentations, plates, transcriptions, exercises) will be available on Moodle.
Further information
NO
Type of Assessment
First module. Assessment is divided into three parts:
1) Written exam. Before the oral exam, students are required to take a written exam, which will be assigned to each of them by email at the end of the course, and which has to be sent by email (irene.ceccherini@unifi.it) at least one week before the date of the oral exam. The written exam consists of three questions: a transcription of a short handwritten text in Latin; a short palaeographical description; a question about the description of manuscripts. In view of the written exam, some practical exercises will be discussed in class, and more exercises will be available on Moodle.
2) Oral exam. Reading test. Students will be required to read some of the plates presented during the lessons.
3) Oral exam. Discussion of the topics treated in class and of the bibliography.
The final evaluation of the first module (30/30) consists of the sum of the three parts:
1) Written exam: 10/30
2) Reading test: 10/30
3) Discussion of the topics treated in class and of the bibliography: 10/30
Second module. Assessment consists of a short essay (about 3,500 words) about one of the two topics treated in class. Essays will be assigned to students at the end of the course and have to be sent by email (irene.ceccherini@unifi.it) at least one week before the date of the oral exam. The oral exam consists of two parts: the discussion of the essay and a question about the other topic.
The final assessment for students of both modules (30/30) will consider the assessment of the first and of the second module.
Course program
First module. Foundations of paleography and codicology: Introduction to the study of written sources. Definitions and historical foundations of Palaeography and Codicology (research fields, methods, goals). Libraries and archives. Writing tools and materials. The making and shaping of the book. Principles of codicological description. Principles and methods of palaeographical analysis. Medieval abbreviations. Principles of transcription. Chronology. History of Latin script and history of the book in Italy from the 12th to the 15th century: Latin script before the 12th century. The transition between late Caroline minuscule and Gothic script. Gothic script. The (re)birth of cursive script. The Italian types of cursive script: cancelleresca and mercantesca. The transfer of cursive scripts from documents to books. Humanistic script, formal and cursive. The main typologies of books from the 12th to the 15th century.
The second module is seminar-based. Two topics will be discussed: 1) recent digital and computational methods in palaeography and codicology (through the analysis of some projects and working tools); 2) the identification of autographs (through the analysis of some examples, e.g. different scribes using the same script or the same scribe using different scripts). Students will be assigned a short essay about one of the two topics.