Roman Law and Contemporary History Law
A.Y. 2025/2026
Learning objectives
At the end of the course the student will be able to master the basic law principles, will know the main Roman institutes and will be able to usefully apply the reasoning to solve real cases and to critically elaborate possible juridical solutions. In addition the student will know the fundamental elements of the history of contemporay European law, namely the sources of law, the role of doctrine and the birth of the developement of the most significant national and international institutions; moreover the student will develop the capability to analyse e summarize the most relevant events of the history of law in Europe between the nineteenth and twentieth.
Expected learning outcomes
- Acquiring a basic knowledge of the periods of Roman law and of the developement of the main law institutes; understanding and retracing the general framework of history of law in Europe in connection to the main events that have characterized the political, religious, economic and social history of Europe.
- Developing the ability to recognize the juridical principles of Roman law and to apply them, if possible, also in the context of the modern law; developing analytic and synthesis skills in reconstructing the stages of the European law history.
- Acquiring the ability to analyse practical cases, to identify sustainable juridical solutions and the main points of each topic.
- Managing logical tools to learn and organize a juridical argument; setting out concepts in a clear, correct and logical way.
- Linking the different topics of the course, understanding the fundamental aspects of the historical evolution of the sources of law, of institutions and of legal theories amongst Roman Age, Middle Age and Modern Age.
- Developing the ability to recognize the juridical principles of Roman law and to apply them, if possible, also in the context of the modern law; developing analytic and synthesis skills in reconstructing the stages of the European law history.
- Acquiring the ability to analyse practical cases, to identify sustainable juridical solutions and the main points of each topic.
- Managing logical tools to learn and organize a juridical argument; setting out concepts in a clear, correct and logical way.
- Linking the different topics of the course, understanding the fundamental aspects of the historical evolution of the sources of law, of institutions and of legal theories amongst Roman Age, Middle Age and Modern Age.
Lesson period: Activity scheduled over several sessions (see Course syllabus and organization section for more detailed information).
Assessment methods: Esame
Assessment result: voto verbalizzato in trentesimi
Single course
This course can be attended as a single course.
Course syllabus and organization
Surname A-L
Responsible
Lesson period
year
Prerequisites for admission
No prior knowledge is required. However, the Institutions of Roman Law test must be taken and passed before the History of Contemporary Law test.
The latter, in fact, presupposes knowledge of Roman private law and the sources of the legal system of ancient Rome.
The latter, in fact, presupposes knowledge of Roman private law and the sources of the legal system of ancient Rome.
Assessment methods and Criteria
VERIFICATION METHODS FOR ROMAN LAW INSTITUTIONS (A-L):
1) ATTENDING STUDENTS - As for Roman Law Institutions, attending students will have the option of a final written test, always on topics covered in class. The written exam will be held at the end of classes, during the first written exam session in December (after December 10, 2025), in the classroom and according to the schedule published on the University website. It will last 120 mm. (2 h.) and will consist of 5 questions, three of which are open-ended and two are multiple-choice (i.e. with several options to be marked with an asterisk).
The attendance required to access the written test is one that reaches at least 70% of the lessons.
2) NON-ATTENDING - For students who cannot attend, an oral exam is scheduled with a grade expressed in thirtieths. The evaluation criteria are based on clarity of exposition and the ability to critically rework the topics covered in the study of the subject.
IMPORTANT - The grade obtained in Institutions of Roman Law will not be recorded immediately in the career, because it is averaged with that of the exam in History of Contemporary Law (Prof. A. Bassani), once this exam has also been passed. It follows that only one final grade will appear in the career, expressed in thirtieths, corresponding to the simple arithmetic mean (possibly rounded up) between the results of the exam in Institutions of Roman Law and that of the exam in History of Contemporary Law.
If you fail the exam, you can re-sit at the next exam session. However, it is strongly advised against repeating registrations.
IMPORTANT - The exam of Institutions of Roman Law must be taken before the exam of History of Contemporary Law.
ATTENTION:
ASSESSMENT METHOD FOR HISTORY OF CONTEMPORARY LAW (A-L):
For History of Contemporary Law there will be a written exam with a grade expressed in thirtieths.
In case of failure to pass the exam, you will be able to re-sit at the next exam session.
1) ATTENDING STUDENTS - As for Roman Law Institutions, attending students will have the option of a final written test, always on topics covered in class. The written exam will be held at the end of classes, during the first written exam session in December (after December 10, 2025), in the classroom and according to the schedule published on the University website. It will last 120 mm. (2 h.) and will consist of 5 questions, three of which are open-ended and two are multiple-choice (i.e. with several options to be marked with an asterisk).
The attendance required to access the written test is one that reaches at least 70% of the lessons.
2) NON-ATTENDING - For students who cannot attend, an oral exam is scheduled with a grade expressed in thirtieths. The evaluation criteria are based on clarity of exposition and the ability to critically rework the topics covered in the study of the subject.
IMPORTANT - The grade obtained in Institutions of Roman Law will not be recorded immediately in the career, because it is averaged with that of the exam in History of Contemporary Law (Prof. A. Bassani), once this exam has also been passed. It follows that only one final grade will appear in the career, expressed in thirtieths, corresponding to the simple arithmetic mean (possibly rounded up) between the results of the exam in Institutions of Roman Law and that of the exam in History of Contemporary Law.
If you fail the exam, you can re-sit at the next exam session. However, it is strongly advised against repeating registrations.
IMPORTANT - The exam of Institutions of Roman Law must be taken before the exam of History of Contemporary Law.
ATTENTION:
ASSESSMENT METHOD FOR HISTORY OF CONTEMPORARY LAW (A-L):
For History of Contemporary Law there will be a written exam with a grade expressed in thirtieths.
In case of failure to pass the exam, you will be able to re-sit at the next exam session.
Roman law
Course syllabus
The Course on Roman Private Law will be dedicated to the evolution of private law in ancient Rome between 753 BC, the conventional date of the foundation of the city of Rome, and 565 AD, the year of the death of Emperor Justinian. The lectures aim to outline the fundamental lines of the most significant institutions and categories of the Roman Private Law, with the aim of recovering the historical roots of basic concepts of continental juridical tradition and of defferent legal traditions.
The lessons will focus on the following topics:
- Periodization and sources of Roman Privat Law.
- The Law of Persons: legal capacity; legal status; citizenship; status familiae and patria potestas.
- The Law of Property: classification of things; real rights (ownership and real rights in property belonging to another); possession; modes of acquisition and judicial protection of real rights and possession.
- The Law of Obligations: the obligatio romana and the concept of vinculum iuris in the thought of Roman jurists; the sources of obligation; contracts and delicts; the life of the obligatory relationship.
- The Law of Actions: Roman law of procedure and its historical stages of development.
The lessons will focus on the following topics:
- Periodization and sources of Roman Privat Law.
- The Law of Persons: legal capacity; legal status; citizenship; status familiae and patria potestas.
- The Law of Property: classification of things; real rights (ownership and real rights in property belonging to another); possession; modes of acquisition and judicial protection of real rights and possession.
- The Law of Obligations: the obligatio romana and the concept of vinculum iuris in the thought of Roman jurists; the sources of obligation; contracts and delicts; the life of the obligatory relationship.
- The Law of Actions: Roman law of procedure and its historical stages of development.
Teaching methods
The Course will consist in 42 hours of frontal teaching or exegetical exercises and case studies. The frontal teaching deals with basic concepts and categories of Roman privat law. The exegetical exercises and case studies concern the discussion on legal cases from texts of classical jurisprudence.
Teaching Resources
For attending and non-attending students, the study of the following manual is recommended:
A. PETRUCCI, Manuale di diritto privato romano, Giappichelli, second edition, Turin 2022, limited to chapters I (pp. 1-14; pp. 32-48; pp. 52-67); V (pp. 177-216; pp. 220-237); VI (pp. 239-302; pp. 331-339; pp. 341-371); VII (pp. 391-410). Those not indicated must therefore be excluded.
Students may also use the teaching material made available by the teacher on the MY ARIEL portal, mainly slides summarizing the main topics that will be covered in class, or source texts with their translation into Italian.
A. PETRUCCI, Manuale di diritto privato romano, Giappichelli, second edition, Turin 2022, limited to chapters I (pp. 1-14; pp. 32-48; pp. 52-67); V (pp. 177-216; pp. 220-237); VI (pp. 239-302; pp. 331-339; pp. 341-371); VII (pp. 391-410). Those not indicated must therefore be excluded.
Students may also use the teaching material made available by the teacher on the MY ARIEL portal, mainly slides summarizing the main topics that will be covered in class, or source texts with their translation into Italian.
Contemporary history law
Course syllabus
The course is aimed at outlining the features of the history of law in Europe in the contemporary age (18th-20th centuries). It focuses on the fundamental aspects of the evolution of legal thought and the sources of law in Italian and European history from the eighteenth century revolutions to the twentieth century. Particular attention will be paid to the constitutions and codes of the early nineteenth century, to Italian legislative unification, to the legislative activity of the liberal age, to the codes of fascism and to the genesis of the constitutional state after the Second World War.
Particular emphasis will be given throughout the course to the relationship between legal thought, legislation and legal practice, as well as to the links between legal history and the political, social and ideational history.
The program will therefore be roughly divided into:
- American and French Revolutions
- the Napoleonic and Austrian codifications;
- the constitutions and the Albertine Statute;
- the Kingdom of Italy and legislative unification;
- law in the liberal age and fascism
Particular emphasis will be given throughout the course to the relationship between legal thought, legislation and legal practice, as well as to the links between legal history and the political, social and ideational history.
The program will therefore be roughly divided into:
- American and French Revolutions
- the Napoleonic and Austrian codifications;
- the constitutions and the Albertine Statute;
- the Kingdom of Italy and legislative unification;
- law in the liberal age and fascism
Teaching methods
The teaching activity consists of 42 hours of frontal lectures: during the lectures for each topic covered, students will be asked to answer, orally, a number of questions in the form of multiple-choice tests, so that they can practise for the final exam.
Teaching Resources
or attending and non-attending students, it is recommended to study the following manual:
Gian Savino Pene Vidari, History of law in the contemporary age (with revisions and additions by C. Bonzo, P. Casana, V. Gigliotti), Giappichelli Torino 2023.
The slides projected during the lessons constitute a specification and in-depth analysis of the topics covered in the text and will be made available on the MyAriel portal.
Students who have transferred from the single-cycle course to the one in legal services sciences and have already taken the History of Medieval and Modern Law exam must supplement the syllabus by choosing between these two options:
Gian Savino Pene Vidari, Storia del diritto in età contemporanea, Giappichelli 2023, capp. XIII-XV, pp. 173-226
or
Antonio Padoa Schioppa, Storia del diritto in Europa. Dal medioevo all'età contemporanea, il Mulino 2016, Parte Quinta: L'età delle Nazioni, pp. 495-618.
Students who have transferred from another university and have already taken a History of Law examination must agree with the lecturer on the syllabus, if a supplement is needed.
Gian Savino Pene Vidari, History of law in the contemporary age (with revisions and additions by C. Bonzo, P. Casana, V. Gigliotti), Giappichelli Torino 2023.
The slides projected during the lessons constitute a specification and in-depth analysis of the topics covered in the text and will be made available on the MyAriel portal.
Students who have transferred from the single-cycle course to the one in legal services sciences and have already taken the History of Medieval and Modern Law exam must supplement the syllabus by choosing between these two options:
Gian Savino Pene Vidari, Storia del diritto in età contemporanea, Giappichelli 2023, capp. XIII-XV, pp. 173-226
or
Antonio Padoa Schioppa, Storia del diritto in Europa. Dal medioevo all'età contemporanea, il Mulino 2016, Parte Quinta: L'età delle Nazioni, pp. 495-618.
Students who have transferred from another university and have already taken a History of Law examination must agree with the lecturer on the syllabus, if a supplement is needed.
Modules or teaching units
Contemporary history law
IUS/19 - HISTORY OF MEDIEVAL AND MODERN LAW - University credits: 6
Lessons: 42 hours
Professor:
Bassani Alessandra Clara Carmela
Roman law
IUS/18 - ROMAN AND ANCIENT LAW - University credits: 6
Lessons: 42 hours
Professor:
Donadio Nunzia
Surname M-Z
Responsible
Lesson period
year
Prerequisites for admission
No prior knowledge is required.
Assessment methods and Criteria
Written examination with a mark expressed in thirtieths. It is mandatory to take the exam of Institution of Roman Law before that of History of contemporary Law. The mark reported in Institutions of Roman Law will not be registered independently but will average with that of the History of Contemporary Law exam. It follows that only one final grade, expressed in thirtieths, will appear in the career, corresponding to the result of the simple arithmetic average (possibly rounded upwards) of the outcome of the two exams of Institutions of Roman law and History of Contemporary Law.
In case the exam is not passed, the students can register for the session immediately after.
In case the exam is not passed, the students can register for the session immediately after.
Roman law
Course syllabus
nstitutions on Roman private law is dedicated to the evolution of private law in ancient Rome between 753 BC (conventional date of the foundation of Rome), and 565 AD (year of the death of Emperor Justinian). The lessons will outline the fundamental development of the most significant institutions of Roman private law, with the aim of recovering the historical roots of modern legal institutions.
Main topics of the course are the following:
· Periodization and sources of Roman law.
· Roman law of procedure and its historical development.
· Family law: legal capacity, legal status, citizenship, status familiae.
· Law of property: classification of things, ownership and real rights in property belonging to another; possession; acquisition and legal protection of property and possession.
· Obligations: sources of obligations; types of contracts, quasi-contracts, delicts and quasi-delicts
Main topics of the course are the following:
· Periodization and sources of Roman law.
· Roman law of procedure and its historical development.
· Family law: legal capacity, legal status, citizenship, status familiae.
· Law of property: classification of things, ownership and real rights in property belonging to another; possession; acquisition and legal protection of property and possession.
· Obligations: sources of obligations; types of contracts, quasi-contracts, delicts and quasi-delicts
Teaching methods
42 hours of frontal teaching. Lessons will be held by prof. Laura Pepe (36 hours) and prof. Ugo Bartocci (8 hours)
Teaching Resources
Matteo Marrone, Manuale di Diritto Privato Romano, Giappichelli, Torino, 2004, pp. 1-76; 123-339.
Additional slides and pdf will be available on ARIEL for students who attend the lessons.
Additional slides and pdf will be available on ARIEL for students who attend the lessons.
Contemporary history law
Course syllabus
The course focuses on the fundamental aspects of the evolution of legal thinking and the sources of law in Italian and European history between the 19th and 20th centuries, with particular attention to the contitutions and codes of the early 19th century, the Italian legislative unification and legislation in the second half of the 19th century, the fascist codes and the genesis of the constitutional State.
Particular emphasis will be given to the relationship between legislation, doctrine and practice, as well as the links between law, politics, society and culture.
Summary of the course: American and French Revolutions; French and Austrian codes; constitutions and the Albertine Statute; Italian kingdom and legislative unification; law during liberal period and fascist regime.
Particular emphasis will be given to the relationship between legislation, doctrine and practice, as well as the links between law, politics, society and culture.
Summary of the course: American and French Revolutions; French and Austrian codes; constitutions and the Albertine Statute; Italian kingdom and legislative unification; law during liberal period and fascist regime.
Teaching methods
The Course will consist in 42 hours of frontal teaching.
Teaching Resources
G.S. Pene Vidari, Storia del diritto in età contemporanea (con revisioni ed integrazioni di C. Bonzo, P. Casana, V. Gigliotti), Torino, Giappichelli, 2023.
For attending students, the reference paragraphs of the textbook will
For attending students, the reference paragraphs of the textbook will
Modules or teaching units
Contemporary history law
IUS/19 - HISTORY OF MEDIEVAL AND MODERN LAW - University credits: 6
Lessons: 42 hours
Professor:
Bianchi Riva Raffaella
Roman law
IUS/18 - ROMAN AND ANCIENT LAW - University credits: 6
Lessons: 42 hours
Professors:
Bartocci Ugo, Pepe Laura
Professor(s)
Reception:
Thurs 9.00-10.30
dipartimento di diritto privato e storia del diritto - 1 floor
Reception:
Office hours: Thursday 10 am. Please always write an email in advance in order to get an appointment: [email protected]
Sezione di Diritto Romano or Teams