HISTORY OF ENVIRONMENT AND RURAL LANDSCAPES

The course is part of the core educational activities of the Master's degree programmes in History from the Middle Ages to Present, as well as part of the core educational activities of the Master's degree programmes in Cultural Anthropology, Ethnology, Anthropological Linguistics (inter-university), in its two path (Cultural anthropology and Cultural Anthropology). The course of History of the Environment and Rural Landscapes aims at analysing the complex relationship between the dynamics of the European eco-systems and human societies during the Late Antiquity and in the Middle Ages in the Mediterranean area. The objectives of the course are: to consider in historical perspective how demographic growth dealt with the relative scarcity of natural resources through a specific kind of technological innovation; to exemplify how perceptions of nature affected societies in the Middle Ages; to describe the management of natural resources and disasters in the Middle Ages; to provide an up-to-date periodisation of major environmental changes within the ancient Mediterranean world by considering how they coped with their own environmental problems (deforestation, soil exhaustion and agricultural decline, air and water pollution). The second section will offer a picture of the emerging environmental settings in the Medieval Europe by focusing especially on Italy and using some case studies.

By the end of the course, the students
1. - will have acquired a secure knowledge of the relationship between the human societies during the Greco-Roman Antiquity and in the Middle Ages, and the dynamics of environmental changes in the Mediterranean area (Knowledge and understanding);
2. - will have acquired a secure knowledge of the effects of population growth and technological development in relation to the availability of natural resources in ancient and late ancient societies and in medieval Italy (Knowledge and understanding);
3. - will be able to identify and critically use literature relating to the period and theme studied for the purpose of carrying out autonomous researches (Ability to apply knowledge and understanding);
4. - will be able to properly evaluate and judge the case studies analysed during classes (judgment autonomy);
5. - will have acquired the ability to present critically and with an appropriate lexicon the results of their research (Communication skills);
6. - will be able to fully understand the complexity of historical developments (Learning skills).

Students are expected to actively participate in the lessons through individual completion of assigned readings and participation in class discussions.

Starting from a general introduction on the environmental history of the Europe, as it has been defined and developed since the middle of the 20th century, the course explore interactions between environment and society and how historians are analysing them. These topics will be discussed in particular: natural resources, technologies and exploitation; the climate and its impact on anthropogenic and non-anthropogenic changes; the Agricultural Revolution; resources and environmental issues in the ancient world (Greeks and Romans); the decline of the Roman Empire in Europe and the advance of marshes and forests; the new growth of agriculture(IX-XIII centuries); varieties of agrarian landscapes in Italy during the Middle Ages; forests and water; settlements: towns and villages, rural landscapes, economies.

1. R. Hoffmann, An environmental history of medieval Europe, Cambridge, Cambridge university press, 2014 (Cambridge medieval texts);
2. A. Rapetti, La terra degli uomini. Le campagne dell’Italia medievale, Roma, Carocci Editore, 2012;
3. M. Armiero, S. Barca, Storia dell’ambiente. Una introduzione, Roma, Carocci, 2004, in particolare i capp. 1-3;
4. Teaching materials provided in classroom and available online (Moodle platform).

Other suggestions:
1. D. Hughes, The Mediterranean. An environmental history, Santa Barbara (CA) 2005, in particolare i capp. 1-4 e 7 oppure
The nature of Mediterranean Europe. An ecological history, A. T. Grove, O. Rackham (eds.), Yale University Press, New Haven, 2001;
2. E. Leroy Ladurie, Tempo di festa tempo di carestia: storia del clima dall'anno Mille, Torino, Einaudi, 1982 e edizioni seguenti;
3. R. Rao, I paesaggi dell’Italia medievale, Roma, Carocci, 2015.

An individual short paper or essay 10.000-13.000 characters) will be discussed in class and it will be considered as the first part of the final exam (40%). The second part of the exam will be an oral exam (60%). The course aims at providing knowledge and understanding of the most advanced topics in the field of the environmental history. Students are expected to develop:
- the skill to learn autonomously;
-
 the ability to carry out and present a research project with autonomy of judgment, particularly in the selection of the most important topics;
- the ability to communicate the purpose and results of a research project.

Non attending students must define their own specific readings and their own paper's title and contents together with the teacher.

Lessons will be held as seminars. Class attendance is highly recommended. Frontal lectures, discussion of texts and paper presentations will characterize classroom activities. Students are expected to attend regularly classes, where they should actively participate to the general discussion. During the first part of the course students will choose amongst specific topics about which they will have to write their own papers as assignment. An oral presentation and a short written paper are required also by all participants.

Italian

written and oral

This subject deals with topics related to the macro-area "Human capital, health, education" and contributes to the achievement of one or more goals of U. N. Agenda for Sustainable Development