STORIA DELL'ARTE MEDIEVALE

Academic Year 2025/2026 - Teacher: ADRIANO NAPOLI

Expected Learning Outcomes

The course aims to provide basic knowledge and understanding of the History of art in Italy and Europe from the early Christian age to the first half of the 15th century. Targeted insights will be dedicated to the city of Catania in the Middle Ages. Among the specific objectives the students will acquire: the ability to analyze, from an iconographic and stylistic point of view, the works of art in the program and to apply the acquired knowledge; the ability to place the works in the appropriate space-time frame, understanding the relationships with the political, religious and cultural context of reference with autonomy of judgment; the ability to critically describe and comment on works of art, using the specific lexicon of the discipline; the ability to plan tourist thematic itineraries with particular reference to the Sicilian reality.

Required Prerequisites

Knowledge of the general outlines of Italian and European medieval history.

Attendance of Lessons

Not compulsory

Detailed Course Content

Early Christian, byzantine and early medieval art

Romanesque art in Europe and Italy

Gothic art in Italy

Late Gothic and early Renaissance

Catania Cathedral

Textbook Information

Handbook

G. Cricco e F.P. Di Teodoro, Itinerario nell’arte. Versione gialla, IV ed. [o precedenti], Zanichelli, Bologna 2016, vol. II, Dall’arte paleocristiana a Giotto [ISBN: 9788808437846], pp. 456-461, 483-550, 556-581, 589-596, 598-633, 636-671, 678-703, 708-843 e 848-859.

G. Cricco e F.P. Di Teodoro, Itinerario nell’arte. Versione gialla, IV ed. [o precedenti], Zanichelli, Bologna 2016, vol. III, Dal Gotico internazionale al Manierismo [ISBN: 9788808649751], pp. 2-169, 284-287 e 328-329.


Monographic readings: Catania Cathedral

T. Bella, Ansgerius quod ego… ecclesiae primus fundamina ieci. La cattedrale normanna di Catania: materiali per un riesame, in «Arte Cristiana», CVI, 2018, 909, pp. 404-421 (online at elearning.unict.it).

Course Planning

 SubjectsText References
1Early Christian, Byzantine and early medieval artCricco - Di Teodoro 2016, II, pp. 456-461, 483-550, 556-581 and 589-596
2Romanesque art in Europe and ItalyCricco - Di Teodoro 2016, II, pp. 598-633 and 636-671
3Gothic art in ItalyCricco - Di Teodoro 2016, II, pp. 678-703, 708-843 and 848-859
4Late Gothic and early RenaissanceCricco - Di Teodoro 2016, III, pp. 2-169, 284-287 and 328-329
5Catania CathedralBella 2018

Learning Assessment

Learning Assessment Procedures

The assessment will take into account the candidate’s mastery of the content and skills acquired, linguistic accuracy and lexical propriety, as well as his/her dialectic ability.

Examples of frequently asked questions and / or exercises

Analysis and historical contextualization of a monument, an artwork or the production of an artist.

Recognition of an artwork.

Analytical exposition of one or more monographic readings.