Università Roma Tre

The course aims to introduce the main features of the documents in the western juridical tradition, with special regard to thei value for historical studies. Internal and external features of documents will be presented, in relation to the cultural program of the times and places of production of the main documentary typologies and to the juridic tradition of the western history. In this way the discipline of Diplomatic is meant as an hitorical science able to provide a critical support to the main historical disciplines, which find in manuscript documents a primary source of their studies. Particular attention will be dedicated to Latin medieval documents, which prove to be particularly difficult as an historical source. A deeper study of the medieval documentary sistem in the town of Rome is also in program.

The course includes both the examination of copies of documents and the direct analysis of manuscripts, carried out through visits in archives and libraries. The knowledge of Latin is recommended.

The final exam will include the knowledge of the material provided during the course. Students are required to add the study ofthe following texts:
- Alessandro Pratesi, Genesi e forme del documento medievale, III edizione, Roma, Jouvence, 1999 (Guide, 3);
- Two essays among those distributed during the course