Medieval Literature

The course deals with the major literary movements and the most important literary works in the Middle Ages, from the literary production in Latin (Carmina burana) which prevailed at the beginning to the rise of the »vulgar« (popular, people) languages.
The attention is drawn to the tradition of the epic poetry as the most significant expression of the medieval (collective) value system and equally to the lyric poetry which enabled the gradual individualization of the poetic voice. The cult of love from the 12th century on (Provencal troubadours, French trouveres, the Sicilian and Tuscan school, dolce stil nuovo, Minnesänger) opened the way to the renaissance. The main topic of the course is the love poetry from troubadours to Dante who created the highest literary monument of the medieval world with his Divina commedia. In order to understand the spirit of this period, it is necessary to offer basic explanations about history, medieval philosophy, theology and mystic poetry, spiritual theatre, visual arts and other artistic and social phenomena.