Romance Philology
A.Y. 2024/2025
Learning objectives
The course aims at introducing the students to the historical-comparative study of Romance languages and literature starting from their medieval origin, through a direct review of their written sources.
Expected learning outcomes
Knowledge and understanding: at the end of the course the students will have a basic knowledge of the origins, development and classification of the Romance languages; they will also be aware of the main issues about the linguistic, literary and historical-cultural shaping of the medieval Romance world, analyzed from a comparative perspective; furthermore, they will focus on some medieval literary texts in different Romance languages, dealing with subjects as genres and critical methodologies for their interpretation. Applying knowledge and understanding: the students will have the ability to read, translate and analyze text in old Romance languages within their historical and cultural background, pointing out their linguistic features.
Lesson period: First semester
Assessment methods: Esame
Assessment result: voto verbalizzato in trentesimi
Single course
This course cannot be attended as a single course. Please check our list of single courses to find the ones available for enrolment.
Course syllabus and organization
Single session
Responsible
Lesson period
First semester
Course syllabus
The course, entitled «Romance linguistic and literary interactions: codes, texts, issues», consists of the following three parts, which will be addressed in sequence: A) Problems and methods of Romance Linguistics (20 hours, 3 ECTS); B) At the origin of Neolatin literatures (20 hours, 3 ECTS); C) Hybridisations and metamorphoses in medieval Romance literature (20 hours, 3 ECTS).
The first part (A) will be aimed at describing the variety of Romance languages, tracing how every one of them evolve from Latin and are in contact with each other. the second part (B) will offer a synthetic overview of the literary origins of the Romance Middle Ages, from the first written documents of the French, Occitan, Iberian and Italian area, to the foundation of the first literary genres of great success. The third part (C) will examine some of the most famous and seductive narrative texts of the Romance Middle Ages that revolve around hybridisation and metamorphosis, deriving from often ancestral traditions: objects rich in fascination and yet uncanny for the audience of the time, many of which have defined archetypes that have been taken up for centuries (in literature, in the figurative arts, in cinema), they are able to illuminate even to our eyes hidden and unexpected facets of human experience.
The course programme is valid until July 2026.
The first part (A) will be aimed at describing the variety of Romance languages, tracing how every one of them evolve from Latin and are in contact with each other. the second part (B) will offer a synthetic overview of the literary origins of the Romance Middle Ages, from the first written documents of the French, Occitan, Iberian and Italian area, to the foundation of the first literary genres of great success. The third part (C) will examine some of the most famous and seductive narrative texts of the Romance Middle Ages that revolve around hybridisation and metamorphosis, deriving from often ancestral traditions: objects rich in fascination and yet uncanny for the audience of the time, many of which have defined archetypes that have been taken up for centuries (in literature, in the figurative arts, in cinema), they are able to illuminate even to our eyes hidden and unexpected facets of human experience.
The course programme is valid until July 2026.
Prerequisites for admission
The course, which is held entirely in Italian, the materials and the exam bibliography requires Linguistics skills.
Teaching methods
The course adopts the following teaching methods: lectures; translation, commentary and critical discussion of texts; examination of digital reproductions of documents, medieval manuscripts and prints, available either inside the books of the bibliography or through the course website on myAriel, the online educational platform (https://myariel.unimi.it); since these materials are written in different medieval languages, attendance is strongly recommended.
Teaching Resources
Part A
Students will associate their notes with the manual of P. Beltrami, «La filologia romanza», Bologna, il Mulino, 2017, parts 1 and 2. Students should also know and be able to comment on the geo-linguistic maps in the volume. Other useful materials are available in the course website on Ariel 2.0.
Part B
Students will associate their notes with M.L. Meneghetti, «Le origini delle letterature medievali romanze», Roma-Bari, Laterza, 2009, pp. 3-17, 37-62, 70-74, 77-92, 125-129, 132-193, 195-205, 207-215, 217-218, 227-233 (and informative reading of the rest); P. Beltrami, «La filologia romanza», Bologna, il Mulino, 2017, part 3.
Part C
A handout with the extracts from the works read, translated and commented in class will be available in the course website on Ariel 2.0, as well as other useful materials. To support the translation and comment on the Old French Italian and Spanish texts we suggest to use the historical grammars of A. Roncaglia, «La lingua d'oïl. Profilo di grammatica storica del francese antico», Pisa, Istituti editoriali e poligrafici internazionali, 2005, usefully associated with A. Varvaro, «Avviamento alla filologia francese medievale, Roma, Carocci, 2003 (Introduction and Glossary) and A. D'Agostino, «Lo spagnolo antico. Sintesi storico-descrittiva», Milano, LED, 2001.
The programme for non-attending students will include the use of some framing essays: further bibliographical indications will be given later.
Students will associate their notes with the manual of P. Beltrami, «La filologia romanza», Bologna, il Mulino, 2017, parts 1 and 2. Students should also know and be able to comment on the geo-linguistic maps in the volume. Other useful materials are available in the course website on Ariel 2.0.
Part B
Students will associate their notes with M.L. Meneghetti, «Le origini delle letterature medievali romanze», Roma-Bari, Laterza, 2009, pp. 3-17, 37-62, 70-74, 77-92, 125-129, 132-193, 195-205, 207-215, 217-218, 227-233 (and informative reading of the rest); P. Beltrami, «La filologia romanza», Bologna, il Mulino, 2017, part 3.
Part C
A handout with the extracts from the works read, translated and commented in class will be available in the course website on Ariel 2.0, as well as other useful materials. To support the translation and comment on the Old French Italian and Spanish texts we suggest to use the historical grammars of A. Roncaglia, «La lingua d'oïl. Profilo di grammatica storica del francese antico», Pisa, Istituti editoriali e poligrafici internazionali, 2005, usefully associated with A. Varvaro, «Avviamento alla filologia francese medievale, Roma, Carocci, 2003 (Introduction and Glossary) and A. D'Agostino, «Lo spagnolo antico. Sintesi storico-descrittiva», Milano, LED, 2001.
The programme for non-attending students will include the use of some framing essays: further bibliographical indications will be given later.
Assessment methods and Criteria
The exam, which is held in Italian, is individual; its duration depends upon the teaching units prepared by the student; it aims to verify the knowledge of the program contents, evaluating both the familiarity with linguistic problems (part A) and with the dynamics of literary history (part B and C) as well as the ability to translate, comment and contextualize the first documents of the Romance languages (part B) and the excerpts of the texts presented in the handout (part C) . The final grade is expressed in thirtieths, and the student has the right to refuse it (in this case it will be verbalized as «withdrawn»).
It is also possible to run an optional written test of Romance Linguistics (part A), which lasts three hours, and consists of three open-ended questions on the exam programme; if the written test is passed the student will take only the remaining units (B and C) to the oral exam. This test is held three times a year (in December, May and September); the mark obtained, expressed in thirtieths, averages with the votes obtained on the B and C units of the program, and remains valid for one year.
International or Erasmus incoming students are invited to contact the teacher early. The assessment procedures for students with SLD will be discussed with the teacher, in agreement with the competent Office.
It is also possible to run an optional written test of Romance Linguistics (part A), which lasts three hours, and consists of three open-ended questions on the exam programme; if the written test is passed the student will take only the remaining units (B and C) to the oral exam. This test is held three times a year (in December, May and September); the mark obtained, expressed in thirtieths, averages with the votes obtained on the B and C units of the program, and remains valid for one year.
International or Erasmus incoming students are invited to contact the teacher early. The assessment procedures for students with SLD will be discussed with the teacher, in agreement with the competent Office.
Unita' didattica A
L-FIL-LET/09 - ROMANCE PHILOLOGY AND LINGUISTICS - University credits: 3
Lessons: 20 hours
Unita' didattica B
L-FIL-LET/09 - ROMANCE PHILOLOGY AND LINGUISTICS - University credits: 3
Lessons: 20 hours
Unita' didattica C
L-FIL-LET/09 - ROMANCE PHILOLOGY AND LINGUISTICS - University credits: 3
Lessons: 20 hours
Professor(s)
Reception:
By appointment only, wednesday 10.00-13.00
Teams class "Ricevimento Luca Sacchi"