Corso di laurea in Beni Culturali

A broad knowledge of the humanities, particularly history, between the end of the Ancient World and the beginning of the Modern Age is necessary. Additionally, the ability to understand and utilize basic art-historical language is required.

History of Modern Art.

A. FOUNDATIONS OF MEDIEVAL ART HISTORY

B. THE CATHEDRAL OF PISA: AN EXPLORATION OF ITS CONSTRUCTION PHASES

The themes and topics explored in the course, as well as the knowledge and skills that the students are expected to acquire, constitute a necessary component of the training intended to equip students with expertise in Art History. In particular, the course provides knowledge and skills necessary to comprehend the development of the history of Medieval art (A), as well as a basic ability to apply these tools to simple case studies (B).

At the end of the course, students will be required to demonstrate the ability to communicate and to apply their knowledge on the following topics:

A. Foundations of Medieval Art History

– Identify and analyze works of art, production centres, artists, and patrons;

– Recognize stylistic transformations and phases;

– Apply periodization and understand artistic geography;

– Analyze cultures, traditions, and artistic renewals in Western Medieval art;

– Be familiar with problems and methods of Medieval art history;

– Effectively use basic technical language.

B. The Cathedral of Pisa: An Exploration of Its Construction Phases

– Demonstrate knowledge of inscriptions, written sources and texts;

– Recognize main construction phases, artists and ateliers involved in the building's evolution.

A. Foundations of Medieval Art History – 1) Major developments in the history of Medieval art, from Late Antiquity to the end of the International Gothic, including: // 2) This course covers the major developments in the history of Medieval art, from Late Antiquity to the end of the International Gothic.

– periodization;

– artistic production centers and contexts;

– examples of primary sources;

– artists and patrons;

– Late Antiquity;

– the Mediterranean, the Continental, and the Insular worlds in the pre-Carolingian period;

– the Carolingian and Ottonian periods;

– the middle Byzantine period;

– the Romanesque;

– the transition towards the Gothic style;

– the development of the Gothic style;

– the Palaeologian Renaissance and the “Maniera Greca”;

– Giotto’s innovations and their diffusion;

– Sienese art and its spread north of the Alps;

– the international Gothic style and its dissolution.

B. The Cathedral of Pisa: An Exploration of Its Construction Phases – This course examines the main construction and decorative phases:

– written sources, inscriptions and texts;

– artists and ateliers.

The course will consist of lectures in classroom accompanied by slides, for a total of 72 hours (12 CFU). Live online access to the classes will also be provided via the link https://unito.webex.com/meet/fabrizio.crivello. While attendance is recommended, it is not mandatory. The course material will be made available on the Moodle platform.

Once the basic knowledge has been evaluated through a written test taken on the Moodle platform, the required knowledge and skills will be assessed through a oral examination, which may include questions accompanied by images of works of art. The student's preparation will be deemed adequate (graded out of thirty) if they demonstrate the ability to discuss the course content with command of appropriate vocabulary, prove familiarity with works of art, styles, iconography, and critically engage with them without relying solely on their framing in literature. Additionally, the student should be capable of recognizing and establishing relationships and interdependence between different components of the course material, and situating works of art within their respective historical period, context, and cultural milieu.

Peer tutoring.

For students with disabilities or specific learning disability (SLD), the following services are available:

https://www.unito.it/accoglienza-studenti-con-disabilita-e-dsa

https://www.unito.it/servizi/lo-studio/studenti-con-disabilita

https://www.unito.it/servizi/lo-studio/studenti-e-studentesse-con-disabilita/supporto-studenti-e-studentesse-con

The following texts are required:

A. G. Bora, G. Fiaccadori, A. Negri e A. Nova, I luoghi dell’arte, vol. I, Dalle origini all’antichità cristiana (n. 7, pp. 301-345); vol. II, Dall’età longobarda al Gotico (nn. 8-11); vol. III, Dal Gotico internazionale alla Maniera moderna (n. 12, pp. 10-54), Electa-Bruno Mondadori, Milano 2002; E. Kitzinger, Arte altomedievale [1940], Einaudi, Torino 2020²; E. Castelnuovo, Arte delle città, arte delle corti [1983], Einaudi, Torino 2009.

B. Introductory reading: M. M. Donato, ‘Costruita dai suoi cittadini’. La cattedrale di Pisa: storie e domande intorno a un monumento (quasi) millenario, in «Opera - Nomina - Historiae», 8 (2013), pp. 1-57. A reference bibliography on the material discussed in class will be provided at the end of the course and will constitute the required readings also for the students who are not attending the classes.

Start of teaching: Monday, September 18, 2023.