Medieval French Literature
A.Y. 2025/2026
Learning objectives
The course aims to:
- introduce students to medieval French literature and its peculiarities;
- provide the tools for reading and studying literary texts in Ancient and Middle French;
- acquire awareness of the peculiarities related to the handwritten and printed transmission of medieval works.
- introduce students to medieval French literature and its peculiarities;
- provide the tools for reading and studying literary texts in Ancient and Middle French;
- acquire awareness of the peculiarities related to the handwritten and printed transmission of medieval works.
Expected learning outcomes
Knowledge: to know the medieval production of novels, their transmission and reception.
Skills: to be able to read and understand the original texts presented in class and to comment on linguistic and stylistic aspects, as well as their literary and cultural value.
Skills: to be able to read and understand the original texts presented in class and to comment on linguistic and stylistic aspects, as well as their literary and cultural value.
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 "Fables du Moyen Âge français: un patrimoine à découvrir", is aimed at students of the Master's degree; it includes three parts and it is held in the first semester.
- A (20 hours, 3 ECTS): "Fables françaises du Moyen Âge - ancien français"
- B (20 hours, 3 ECTS): "Fables françaises du Moyen Âge - moyen français"
- C (20 hours, 3 ECTS): "Fables françaises du Moyen Âge - français de la Renaissance"
Students interested in acquiring 6 ECTS will adhere to the program of parts A + B or A + C; students interested in acquiring 9 ECTS will follow the full program.
Students repeating the examination must agree on the syllabus with the lecturer.
Part A constitutes an introduction to the Old French, and to the first collections of fairy tales, through some representative texts and authors, including Marie de France.
Part B will focus on texts in Middle-French, in particular on the Dialogue des creatures and on Julien Macho's Esope.
Part C will concern two authors of fables of the early 16th century, Pierre Sala and Gilles Corrozet.
The course programme is valid until February 2027.
- A (20 hours, 3 ECTS): "Fables françaises du Moyen Âge - ancien français"
- B (20 hours, 3 ECTS): "Fables françaises du Moyen Âge - moyen français"
- C (20 hours, 3 ECTS): "Fables françaises du Moyen Âge - français de la Renaissance"
Students interested in acquiring 6 ECTS will adhere to the program of parts A + B or A + C; students interested in acquiring 9 ECTS will follow the full program.
Students repeating the examination must agree on the syllabus with the lecturer.
Part A constitutes an introduction to the Old French, and to the first collections of fairy tales, through some representative texts and authors, including Marie de France.
Part B will focus on texts in Middle-French, in particular on the Dialogue des creatures and on Julien Macho's Esope.
Part C will concern two authors of fables of the early 16th century, Pierre Sala and Gilles Corrozet.
The course programme is valid until February 2027.
Prerequisites for admission
The course, which is held in French, as well as examination materials and bibliography presuppose a solid language proficiency in French.
Teaching methods
The schedule of lessons, their modalities and any updates will be published in the website Ariel.
The course also includes seminar moments, in which students are asked to actively participate.
The course also includes seminar moments, in which students are asked to actively participate.
Teaching Resources
The course has a website Ariel, which can be consulted for information and teaching materials.
Bibliography (all the texts, except Fables françaises du Moyen Âge, will be made available on Ariel):
Parte A
Michel Zink, Le Moyen Âge - Littérature française, Presses Universitaires de Nancy, 1990, p. 9-117
Fables françaises du moyen âge (Edition bilingue). Traduction, présentation et notes de Jeanne-Marie Boivin et Laurence Harf-Lancner, Paris, GF, 1996, « Introduction », p. 11-40 + le favole lette durante il corso
Parte B
Michel Zink, Le Moyen Âge - Littérature française, Presses Universitaires de Nancy, 1990, p. 81-156
Dialogue des créatures : traduzione di Colard Mansion, éd. Pierre Ruelle, Bruxelles, 1985 ; traduzione anonima, ed. in preparazione Maria Colombo (favole lette durante il corso)
L'Esope de Julien Macho, publié par Pierre Ruelle, Paris, SATF, 1982 (favole lette durante il corso)
Nora Viet, « Une morale pour plaire ? Docere et delectare dans les recueils de récits brefs de la première Renaissance (1485-1521) », Paroles dégelées. Propos de l'Atelier XVIe siècle, Paris, Classiques Garnier, 2016, p. 713-732
Parte C
Gianni Mombello, « La fable des XVe et XVIe siècles : un genre littéraire humaniste en train de se populariser », in Bulletin de l'Association d'étude sur l'humanisme, la réforme et la renaissance, 11, 1980, p. 118-125
Paola Cifarelli, « Fable et nouvelle à la Renaissance », in Reinardus, 11, 1998, p. 37-51
Paola Cifarelli, « Pierre Sala et ses Fables », in Les fables avant La Fontaine, Genève, Droz, 2011, p. 335-352
Pierre Sala, Fables en quatrains: Yves Giraud, « Un album de fables au temps de François Ier », in Le Fablier, 13, 2001, p. 69-78 (favole lette durante il corso)
Gilles Corrozet, Second livre des fables d'Esope, éd. Paola Cifarelli, Genève - Paris, Slatkine, 1992 (favole lette durante il corso)
Bibliography (all the texts, except Fables françaises du Moyen Âge, will be made available on Ariel):
Parte A
Michel Zink, Le Moyen Âge - Littérature française, Presses Universitaires de Nancy, 1990, p. 9-117
Fables françaises du moyen âge (Edition bilingue). Traduction, présentation et notes de Jeanne-Marie Boivin et Laurence Harf-Lancner, Paris, GF, 1996, « Introduction », p. 11-40 + le favole lette durante il corso
Parte B
Michel Zink, Le Moyen Âge - Littérature française, Presses Universitaires de Nancy, 1990, p. 81-156
Dialogue des créatures : traduzione di Colard Mansion, éd. Pierre Ruelle, Bruxelles, 1985 ; traduzione anonima, ed. in preparazione Maria Colombo (favole lette durante il corso)
L'Esope de Julien Macho, publié par Pierre Ruelle, Paris, SATF, 1982 (favole lette durante il corso)
Nora Viet, « Une morale pour plaire ? Docere et delectare dans les recueils de récits brefs de la première Renaissance (1485-1521) », Paroles dégelées. Propos de l'Atelier XVIe siècle, Paris, Classiques Garnier, 2016, p. 713-732
Parte C
Gianni Mombello, « La fable des XVe et XVIe siècles : un genre littéraire humaniste en train de se populariser », in Bulletin de l'Association d'étude sur l'humanisme, la réforme et la renaissance, 11, 1980, p. 118-125
Paola Cifarelli, « Fable et nouvelle à la Renaissance », in Reinardus, 11, 1998, p. 37-51
Paola Cifarelli, « Pierre Sala et ses Fables », in Les fables avant La Fontaine, Genève, Droz, 2011, p. 335-352
Pierre Sala, Fables en quatrains: Yves Giraud, « Un album de fables au temps de François Ier », in Le Fablier, 13, 2001, p. 69-78 (favole lette durante il corso)
Gilles Corrozet, Second livre des fables d'Esope, éd. Paola Cifarelli, Genève - Paris, Slatkine, 1992 (favole lette durante il corso)
Assessment methods and Criteria
The exam will take place in oral form. It will consist of an individual assessment, which includes questions about the contents of the course, reading, translation, linguistic, stylistic and literary commentary of one or more passages from the texts in the program. The assessment will be held in French for students of the Master's Degree in languages, in Italian or in French for students of the other Master's Degree Courses.
Non-attending students, international students or incoming Erasmus students are invited to contact the lecturer. The examination procedures for students with disabilities and/or with DSA must be agreed with the lecturer, in agreement with the relevant office.
Non-attending students, international students or incoming Erasmus students are invited to contact the lecturer. The examination procedures for students with disabilities and/or with DSA must be agreed with the lecturer, in agreement with the relevant office.
L-LIN/03 - FRENCH LITERATURE - University credits: 9
Lessons: 60 hours