History of the Middle Ages [LHISB004]

Learning outcomes

- To develop specialist knowledge in areas of the historical discipline and to understand the issues of the discipline. - To acquire a broad general and interdisciplinary culture by opening up to other disciplines and understanding the links they have with History. - To develop critical thinking and scientific reasoning skills. - Acquire a strong capacity for information analysis, synthesis and writing.

Objectives

At the end of this course, the student should master a general chronology of the history of Western civilisation in the Middle Ages, with the major articulations and key moments of this history; he/she should also be able to explain the notions presented in the course, placing them in their context; he/she should also be able to analyse and compare situations and developments specific to one or other aspect of medieval civilisation.

Content

The course is structured in three main parts corresponding to the three classical subdivisions of the medieval period: High Middle Ages (ca. 400-1000); Middle Ages (ca. 1000-1350); Low Middle Ages (ca. 1350-1500). It provides the basic knowledge necessary to understand each of these periods. This knowledge concerns at the same time political, social, economic, cultural and religious aspects, which are in any case closely intertwined in the Middle Ages. The course takes particular care to show that, in many respects, the Middle Ages were the crucible of the West.