Romance Philology
A.Y. 2019/2020
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.
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 Along the way. Travel literature in the Romance Middle Ages, consists of the following three teaching units, which will be addressed in sequence: t.u. A, Problems and methods of Romance Linguistics (20 hours, 3 credits); t.u. B, The origins of medieval Romance literature (20 hours, 3 credits); t.u. C, Between the street and the paper: pages of odeporic literature (20 hours, 3 credits).
The first unit (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 unit (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: epics and lyrics. The third unit (C) will examinate some of the best and well known exemples of travel literature in medieval Romance Europe: this genre - new at that time, useful and successful - opens up new perspectives on curiosity and on the sensibility of that age, as well as on the fears and dreams that accompanied the movement towards the other, charging it with a symbolic value that still maintains its charm today.
The first unit (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 unit (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: epics and lyrics. The third unit (C) will examinate some of the best and well known exemples of travel literature in medieval Romance Europe: this genre - new at that time, useful and successful - opens up new perspectives on curiosity and on the sensibility of that age, as well as on the fears and dreams that accompanied the movement towards the other, charging it with a symbolic value that still maintains its charm today.
Prerequisites for admission
The course, 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 Ariel, the online educational platform (https://lsacchillnc.ariel.ctu.unimi.it/v5/Home/); since these materials are written in different medieval languages, attendance is strongly recommended.
Teaching Resources
For attending students
Teaching unit A
Students will associate their notes with the manual of P. Gresti, «Introduzione alla linguistica romanza», Bologna, Pàtron, 2016, pp. 17-29, 32-33, 35-39, 41-45, 47-57, 63-67, 72-78, 86-89, 91-97, 102-113, 116, 119-20, 125-127, 138-140, 142-149, 151-171. Students should also know and be able to comment on the geolinguistic maps in the volume. Other useful materials are available in the in the course website on Ariel 2.0.
Teaching unit B
Students will associate their notes with M.L. Meneghetti, Le origini delle letterature medievali romanze, Roma-Bari, Laterza, 20098, 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); A. Limentani, M. Infurna, L'epica romanza del Medioevo, Bologna, Il Mulino, 2007, pp. 7-45, 53-66, 69-74; U. Mölk, La lirica dei trovatori, Bologna, Il Mulino, 1996, pp. 23-53, 67-110.
Teaching unit C
A handout whith the extracts from the odeporic works translated and commented in class is available in the course website on Ariel 2.0.
For non-attending students
Teaching unit A
Students will add to the bibliography listed above L. Renzi-A. Andreose, Manuale di Linguistica e filologia romanza, Bologna, il Mulino, 2015, pp. 26-28, 35-59, 61-73, 75-78, 88-93, 95-101.
Teaching unit B
Students will add to the bibliography listed above the book of Luciano Formisano, «La lirica romanza del medioevo», Bologna, Il Mulino, 2012, pp. 49-70, 81-92.
Teaching unit C
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. Furthermore the students will study the essay of L. Minervini, «La letteratura di viaggio», in Le letterature romanze medievali, a cura di C. Di Girolamo, Bologna, Il Mulino, 1994, pp. 297-308.
Teaching unit A
Students will associate their notes with the manual of P. Gresti, «Introduzione alla linguistica romanza», Bologna, Pàtron, 2016, pp. 17-29, 32-33, 35-39, 41-45, 47-57, 63-67, 72-78, 86-89, 91-97, 102-113, 116, 119-20, 125-127, 138-140, 142-149, 151-171. Students should also know and be able to comment on the geolinguistic maps in the volume. Other useful materials are available in the in the course website on Ariel 2.0.
Teaching unit B
Students will associate their notes with M.L. Meneghetti, Le origini delle letterature medievali romanze, Roma-Bari, Laterza, 20098, 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); A. Limentani, M. Infurna, L'epica romanza del Medioevo, Bologna, Il Mulino, 2007, pp. 7-45, 53-66, 69-74; U. Mölk, La lirica dei trovatori, Bologna, Il Mulino, 1996, pp. 23-53, 67-110.
Teaching unit C
A handout whith the extracts from the odeporic works translated and commented in class is available in the course website on Ariel 2.0.
For non-attending students
Teaching unit A
Students will add to the bibliography listed above L. Renzi-A. Andreose, Manuale di Linguistica e filologia romanza, Bologna, il Mulino, 2015, pp. 26-28, 35-59, 61-73, 75-78, 88-93, 95-101.
Teaching unit B
Students will add to the bibliography listed above the book of Luciano Formisano, «La lirica romanza del medioevo», Bologna, Il Mulino, 2012, pp. 49-70, 81-92.
Teaching unit C
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. Furthermore the students will study the essay of L. Minervini, «La letteratura di viaggio», in Le letterature romanze medievali, a cura di C. Di Girolamo, Bologna, Il Mulino, 1994, pp. 297-308.
Assessment methods and Criteria
The exam 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 (didactic unit A) and with the dynamics of literary history (u.d. B and C) as well as the ability to translate, comment and contextualize the first documents of the Romance languages (ud B) and the excerpts of the texts presented in the handout (u.d. 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 (t.u. 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 hold three times a year (in january, 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 disabilities and / or with DSA must be discussed with the teacher, in agreement with the competent Office.
It is also possible to run an optional written test of Romance Linguistics (t.u. 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 hold three times a year (in january, 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 disabilities and / or with DSA must 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"