Modern History

The course, is aimed in particular at first-year students and intends to address the problems related to the political, economic and social dynamics of the early-modern age states from the mid-15th century to the revolutionary age and the new order imposed with the Congress of Vienna. During the lessons we will refer to the different historiographic interpretations with a consistent use of the sources from early-modern period of history, for the methodological purpose of promoting a critical reading and understanding of historical events and monographs.

By the end of the course, the student will have acquired the knowledge of the political-institutional, socio-economic and cultural development of the history of the early-modern period, from the 16th to the beginning of the 19th century. They shall also be able to place the most representative events and figures in their chronological and geographical contexts. The student will be able to use language tools (language properties, correct specific lexicon) to express, in a clear and effective form, concepts of a political, institutional, economic, and religious nature; they will be able to read critically historiographical works and use the main tools, including digital tools, for the research and analysis of sources. These skills will be acquired through a direct and continuous meeting with the instructor in the classroom. The discussion around the proposed sources will be an essential moment of critical reflection and methodological learning. Participation in meetings and seminars organized within the Department of Historical Studies will also be of great importance. 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 of course contact the instructor either by e-mail and during office hours