Course Details

What is a medieval manuscript? How was the act of reading different in the medieval period? This course examines what a medieval manuscript typically consisted of and explores a broad and diverse manuscript culture and reading culture particularly in Italy, France and Spain in the Middle Ages. At a time of digital transformation, medieval manuscripts give us cause to consider the ways in which the book as a medium served to shape the modern experience of reading. We will explore how manuscripts were produced, presented, exchanged and read as symbols of authority, access and authenticity. We will also consider how digital projects and open access editions enrich and advance scholarship on the tradition and the circulation of texts by sharing knowledge in an open, timely and accessible way.