Diplomatics

The course aims to provide the general lines of research and essential references relative to the contents and basic polemical connections of Medieval documentation and their interactional relationships with the public and private subjects which produced them. The course also aims to provide the students with the essential tools for the reading and comprehension of documents and for interpreting the structures, forms and formulas of Medieval documents.

The course aims to provide the students with the methodology and the acquisition of the essential tools for the reading and comprehension of public and private medieval documents and for interpreting said documents structures, forms and formulas. At the end of the course students will have acquired the linguistic properties and the ability to gather, analyze and select data within a given context. They will know and understand the reasons behind the historical development of the structures and forms within Medieval documents, in addition to knowing how to read and comprehend documents produced by the chancelleries and notaries. These competencies will be acquired through the direct and continuous comparison with the aid of the instructor in the classroom. Reading, commenting and document analysis exercises will also provide a point of critical reflection and methodological training. Students opting not to attend the lessons will be able to make use of the educational tools provided by the instructor on Ariel, deepen their knowledge of main topics through special readings with the agreement with the instructor, and meet with the instructor either by e-mail and during office hours.