Università Roma Tre

Course title and contents

History of Byzantine art from the foundation of Constantinople to its fall (1453)
The course is devised to provide the students with basic, general knowledge of Byzantine Art from the 4th to the 14th century, analysing artworks different techniques and types (painting, sculpture, architecture, as well as miniatures, ivories, silverware), with special attention to the trends in commissioning and to works and building which can be seen as paradigmatic of the Eastern Roman Empire.
A list of study visits led by the teacher will be announced at the beginning of the course.

Bibliography

Attending students
• s. v. Costantinopoli, in Enciclopedia dell’Arte Antica, II, Roma 1985, pp. 880-919.
• C. Mango, Architettura bizantina, trad. it., Milano, Electa 1978, pp. 5-138.
• V. Lazarev, Storia della pittura bizantina, trad. it., Torino, Einaudi 1967, pp. 124-136.
• E. Kitzinger, Alle origini dell’arte bizantina. Correnti stilistiche nel mondo mediterraneo dal III al VII secolo, trad. it., Milano, Jaca Book 2004, pp. 49-150 e figg. 81-231.
• M. Della Valle, Costantinopoli e il suo impero. Arte, architettura, urbanistica nel millennio bizantino, Milano, Jaca Book 2007, pp. 77-143 e figg. 74-147.
• M. L. Fobelli, Un tempio per Giustiniano. Santa Sofia di Costantinopoli e la Descrizione di Paolo Silenziario, Roma, Viella 2005, pp. 1-31, 181-207, figg. 1-142.
• M. L. Fobelli, Fonti e cronologia dei piatti argentei di Cipro con le storie di Davide, “Rivista dell’Istituto Nazionale di Archeologia e Storia dell’Arte”, s. III, anni VI-VII (1983-1984), pp. 191-219.
• Further references will be provided throughout the course.

Non-attending students

Must add to the above texts:
• E. Kitzinger, Alle origini dell’arte bizantina. Correnti stilistiche nel mondo mediterraneo dal III al VII secolo, trad. it., Milano, Jaca Book 2005 (whole book).
• E. Kitzinger Il culto delle immagini. L’arte bizantina dal cristianesimo delle origini all’Iconoclastia, trad. it., Firenze, La Nuova Italia 1992.
• R. Krautheimer, Santa Sofia e gli edifici annessi, in Architettura paleocristiana e bizantina, Torino, Einaudi 1986, pp. 239-267 and figg. 105-114.

Attendance
Attendance to the course is highly recommended. Those who, due to serious circumstances, are unable to attend the lectures, should supplement the programme (see above) with additional readings to be agreed with the teacher.
Assessment
Oral examination.

N.B. Apart from whole books, which can be either found at public libraries or bought, and additional readings for non-attending students, any other materials will be available as photocopy or PDF at:
- Mario Mefistofele e Antonio Rossi, Area Didattica di Beni Culturali, Dipartimento di Studi Umanistici, Via Ostiense 234, Roma.