Romance Philology
A.Y. 2024/2025
Learning objectives
The course aims at providing a basic preparation in the comparative study of Romance languages and literatures, from their origins until the end of the Middle Ages. The course will focus on the earliest witnesses of these new languages and on literary texts written using the vernaculars, higlighting their multiple interconnections with figurative and/or performing arts (in the original context of their production, and/or studying their reception in later periods).
Expected learning outcomes
Knowledge:
At the end of the course students will know: 1) the main historical-linguistic features that characterise the transformation of Latin into the Romance languages, and the principal instruments for the linguistic study of Medieval texts; 2) the earliest witnesses of the Neo-latin languages, with a focus on their interconnections with figurative and performing contexts; 3) the general developments of Medieval Romance literatures, that will be studied in a historical and comparative perspective, with special attention to authors, texts and literary genres that show important associations with figurative and performing arts.
Competence:
At the end of the course students will be able to deal with Medieval Romance texts, contextualizing them in the historical-cultural context of their production and recognizing their main linguistic features, making use of the specialized vocabulary of the discipline. Students will also be able to use the general knowledges and instruments of Romance philology to analyze Medieval artifacts and figurative/performing works that show interconnections with the vernacular languages and literatures.
At the end of the course students will know: 1) the main historical-linguistic features that characterise the transformation of Latin into the Romance languages, and the principal instruments for the linguistic study of Medieval texts; 2) the earliest witnesses of the Neo-latin languages, with a focus on their interconnections with figurative and performing contexts; 3) the general developments of Medieval Romance literatures, that will be studied in a historical and comparative perspective, with special attention to authors, texts and literary genres that show important associations with figurative and performing arts.
Competence:
At the end of the course students will be able to deal with Medieval Romance texts, contextualizing them in the historical-cultural context of their production and recognizing their main linguistic features, making use of the specialized vocabulary of the discipline. Students will also be able to use the general knowledges and instruments of Romance philology to analyze Medieval artifacts and figurative/performing works that show interconnections with the vernacular languages and literatures.
Lesson period: Second semester
Assessment methods: Esame
Assessment result: voto verbalizzato in trentesimi
Single course
This course can be attended as a single course.
Course syllabus and organization
Single session
Responsible
Lesson period
Second semester
Course syllabus
The course is aimed at students enrolled in a Bachelor's or Master's degree in the field of the Studies of Cultural Heritage that want to take their first exam of Romance philology. It consists of two sections that will be developed sequentially:
Section A: "The origins of linguistic and literary Europe of our days: emergence and development of medieval Romance literatures" (40 hours, 6 ECTS).
Section B: "The pastourelle: from poetry to the stage" (20 hours, 3 ECTS).
The first section of the course will deal with the fundamentals of the discipline, emphasizing the aspects that may be more useful for students of Cultural Heritage. It will focus on: a) the main historical-linguistic features that characterise the transformation of Latin into the Romance languages, with particular attention for the medieval period and the subsequent creation of the Neolatin space of our days; b) the earliest witnesses of the Neo-latin languages, with a focus on their interconnections with figurative and performing contexts; 3) the general developments of medieval Romance literatures, that will be studied in a historical and comparative perspective, with special attention to literary genres that show important associations with figurative (epics, novel) and performing (lyrics, theatre) arts.
Section B will focus on the pastourelle, a lyric genre that initially developed within the poetry of Provençal troubadours, later having great success also in all the other great medieval Romance lyric traditions, from the French to the Italian one: even Cavalcanti and Dante interfaced with this genre. The pastourelle tells of a knight's attempted seduction of a young shepherdess, that will succeed or not; at least at the origins, this situation is only apparently disengaged, since it offers the poet the opportunity to discuss some problematic aspects of courtly ideology from a peculiar perspective. In the second half of the 13th century, the inner theatricality of this poetic genre was fully exploited by a great French author, Adam de la Halle, who represented on the stage the typical situations of the pastourelle in one of the first modern European theatrical texts dealing with a non-religious subject, the "Jeu de Robin et Marion". Through the reading and analysis of some representative texts, this section aims at tracing the history of this lyric genre from its origins to Adam de la Halle's theatrical experiment, without ignoring some parodic episodes which also attest to its great success.
Students that will take a 9 ECTS exam will attend sections A and B; students that will take a 6 ECTS exam will attend only section A.
Section A: "The origins of linguistic and literary Europe of our days: emergence and development of medieval Romance literatures" (40 hours, 6 ECTS).
Section B: "The pastourelle: from poetry to the stage" (20 hours, 3 ECTS).
The first section of the course will deal with the fundamentals of the discipline, emphasizing the aspects that may be more useful for students of Cultural Heritage. It will focus on: a) the main historical-linguistic features that characterise the transformation of Latin into the Romance languages, with particular attention for the medieval period and the subsequent creation of the Neolatin space of our days; b) the earliest witnesses of the Neo-latin languages, with a focus on their interconnections with figurative and performing contexts; 3) the general developments of medieval Romance literatures, that will be studied in a historical and comparative perspective, with special attention to literary genres that show important associations with figurative (epics, novel) and performing (lyrics, theatre) arts.
Section B will focus on the pastourelle, a lyric genre that initially developed within the poetry of Provençal troubadours, later having great success also in all the other great medieval Romance lyric traditions, from the French to the Italian one: even Cavalcanti and Dante interfaced with this genre. The pastourelle tells of a knight's attempted seduction of a young shepherdess, that will succeed or not; at least at the origins, this situation is only apparently disengaged, since it offers the poet the opportunity to discuss some problematic aspects of courtly ideology from a peculiar perspective. In the second half of the 13th century, the inner theatricality of this poetic genre was fully exploited by a great French author, Adam de la Halle, who represented on the stage the typical situations of the pastourelle in one of the first modern European theatrical texts dealing with a non-religious subject, the "Jeu de Robin et Marion". Through the reading and analysis of some representative texts, this section aims at tracing the history of this lyric genre from its origins to Adam de la Halle's theatrical experiment, without ignoring some parodic episodes which also attest to its great success.
Students that will take a 9 ECTS exam will attend sections A and B; students that will take a 6 ECTS exam will attend only section A.
Prerequisites for admission
None. No previous competence in medieval or modern Romance languages is required to attend the lessons and to pass the exam successfully: all the skills for the comprehension of contents and texts will be provided in class.
Teaching methods
Lectures with reading and commentary of texts and analysis of reproductions of works of art and musical performances. Students are invited to take part in the discussion on the topics treated in class. Class attendance is highly recommended.
Additional digital teaching materials (such as images, musical registrations, and bibliographic supports) will be published in the MyAriel site of the course.
Additional digital teaching materials (such as images, musical registrations, and bibliographic supports) will be published in the MyAriel site of the course.
Teaching Resources
Section A:
- Personal class notes;
- Pietro G. Beltrami, "La filologia romanza. Profilo linguistico e letterario", Bologna, Il Mulino, 2017, pp. 19-32, 37-57, 85-110, 133-266; only attentive reading of pp. 291-301; consider also the maps on pp. 305-309;
- Maria Luisa Meneghetti, "Le origini delle letterature medievali romanze", Roma-Bari, Laterza, 1997 (any edition or reprint), pp. 3-41, 53-59, 59-65 (only texts i, ii, and iv), 70-74 (only texts iii and iv), 77-80, 86-92, 100-106, 125-139, 141-144, 149-160, 162-163, 169-204, 210-219, 221-223, 229-233.
Section B:
- Personal class notes;
- Before classes of this section start, the teacher will publish on the MyAriel site of the course a booklet containing: 1) the texts that will be read and commented during the lessons; 2) the precise indication of the critical bibliography to be studied for this part the exam.
Further teaching materials will be provided in the MyAriel site during the course.
Non-attending students are invited to contact the teacher for additional information and supplementary bibliographic references that will substitute the attendance at classes (and consequently the study of personal class notes).
Erasmus incoming students with linguistic difficulties with the Italian language may contact the teacher to establish a specific study plan.
- Personal class notes;
- Pietro G. Beltrami, "La filologia romanza. Profilo linguistico e letterario", Bologna, Il Mulino, 2017, pp. 19-32, 37-57, 85-110, 133-266; only attentive reading of pp. 291-301; consider also the maps on pp. 305-309;
- Maria Luisa Meneghetti, "Le origini delle letterature medievali romanze", Roma-Bari, Laterza, 1997 (any edition or reprint), pp. 3-41, 53-59, 59-65 (only texts i, ii, and iv), 70-74 (only texts iii and iv), 77-80, 86-92, 100-106, 125-139, 141-144, 149-160, 162-163, 169-204, 210-219, 221-223, 229-233.
Section B:
- Personal class notes;
- Before classes of this section start, the teacher will publish on the MyAriel site of the course a booklet containing: 1) the texts that will be read and commented during the lessons; 2) the precise indication of the critical bibliography to be studied for this part the exam.
Further teaching materials will be provided in the MyAriel site during the course.
Non-attending students are invited to contact the teacher for additional information and supplementary bibliographic references that will substitute the attendance at classes (and consequently the study of personal class notes).
Erasmus incoming students with linguistic difficulties with the Italian language may contact the teacher to establish a specific study plan.
Assessment methods and Criteria
The exam consists of a single oral test, grading on a scale of 30. Teacher will consider together with attending students the opportunity to organize optional intermediate tests.
The oral examination will ascertain:
1) the knowledge of the programme contents;
2) the ability of critical thinking;
3) the quality and efficacy of presentation;
4) the competence in the use of discipline-specific terminology;
5) the ability in translating (or paraphrasing, if in ancient Italian), commenting and contextualising a Medieval text.
The exam for SLD students and/or for students with other disabilities will have to be agreed with the teacher in accordance with the Office in charge.
The oral examination will ascertain:
1) the knowledge of the programme contents;
2) the ability of critical thinking;
3) the quality and efficacy of presentation;
4) the competence in the use of discipline-specific terminology;
5) the ability in translating (or paraphrasing, if in ancient Italian), commenting and contextualising a Medieval text.
The exam for SLD students and/or for students with other disabilities will have to be agreed with the teacher in accordance with the Office in charge.
L-FIL-LET/09 - ROMANCE PHILOLOGY AND LINGUISTICS - University credits: 9
Lessons: 60 hours
Professor:
Resconi Stefano
Professor(s)
Reception:
Tuesday, h. 15.00-18.00; please, anticipate your presence by e-mail
Professor's office: Via Festa del Perdono 7, Sezione di Modernistica (right side of the courtyard after accessing from the main entrance), 1st floor