| Description: | This course is intended to provide students with basic information about the development of the arts in Italy (architecture, sculpture, painting, illumination), in the time period between the year 313 CE, when the Christian religion was officially accepted by the Emperor Constantine, and the beginning of the 15th century, when humanistic culture imposed a new classicism with the rediscovery of Roman antiquities. This long period is characterized by a continuous effort to interpret the classical artistic language, combining with innovative contributions from different cultures. Rather than accepting the generally established idea of "decadence" and "dark age" of arts in the Middle Ages, we shall emphasize the concept of historic evolution - in the wider context of the social, political, and cultural changes that took place in these centuries - and try to understand the extremely important contribution that medieval arts gave to the rise of European civilization. In the process of studying medieval art, we will take full advantage of the monumental resources offered by the town of Tuscania, one of the pearls of Romanesque art, with its world-known churches of S. Pietro and S. Maria Maggiore. Other neighboring towns (Viterbo, Tarquinia, Bolsena, Orvieto) can provide further opportunities to visit monuments relevant to the whole chronological span considered in the course. |