Introduction to Medieval History
Code: 100335 ECTS Credits: 6| Degree | Type | Year |
|---|---|---|
| History | FB | 1 |
| Humanities | OB | 2 |
Contact
- Name:
- Ferran Esquilache Marti
- Email:
- ferran.esquilache@uab.cat
Teachers
- Nuria Pacheco Catalan
- Maria Isabel Molina Campuzano
- Vicente Royo Perez
Teaching groups languages
You can view this information at the end of this document.
Prerequisites
None
Objectives and Contextualisation
The course provides a general overview of the various stages, key processes, and major events that took place during the Middle Ages, spanning from the 5th to the 15th century. This is approached through multiple thematic perspectives of historical science—social, political, economic, ideological, and cultural—and through both theoretical and practical activities.
The primary objective of the course is to equip students with the appropriate tools to acquire foundational knowledge of the historical framework of the Middle Ages, which will serve as a basis for the study of many subsequent subjects within the degree program.
All course content will be addressed with sensitivity to gender-related perspectives.
Competences
- History
- Contextualizing the historical processes and analysing them from a critical perspective.
- Developing critical thinking and reasoning and communicating them effectively both in your own and other languages.
- Respecting the diversity and plurality of ideas, people and situations.
- Students must be capable of collecting and interpreting relevant data (usually within their area of study) in order to make statements that reflect social, scientific or ethical relevant issues.
- Students must develop the necessary learning skills in order to undertake further training with a high degree of autonomy.
- Students must have and understand knowledge of an area of study built on the basis of general secondary education, and while it relies on some advanced textbooks it also includes some aspects coming from the forefront of its field of study.
- Humanities
- Critically analysing the contemporary culture.
- Critically analysing today's culture and its historical conditions.
- Developing critical thinking and reasoning and communicating them effectively both in your own and other languages.
- Identifying the historical processes of contemporary culture.
- Respecting the diversity and plurality of ideas, people and situations.
- Students must be capable of collecting and interpreting relevant data (usually within their area of study) in order to make statements that reflect social, scientific or ethical relevant issues.
- Students must be capable of communicating information, ideas, problems and solutions to both specialised and non-specialised audiences.
Learning Outcomes
- Analysing the historical processes that led to armed conflicts.
- Communicating in your mother tongue or other language both in oral and written form by using specific terminology and techniques of Historiography.
- Critically analysing the past, the nature of the historical speech and the social function of historical science.
- Critically analysing the patterns explaining the historical phases.
- Critically assessing the various current approaches to the study of the history of Catalonia.
- Developing the ability of historical analysis and synthesis.
- Drawing up an academic text using the discipline's specific vocabulary.
- Effectively working in teams and respecting different opinions.
- Engaging in debates about historical facts respecting the other participants' opinions.
- Explaining the most relevant historical processes of the Modern Period.
- Identifying the context of the historical processes.
- Identifying the key concepts in explaining the Modern Period.
- Identifying the key historical concepts of the current Spanish and Catalan societies.
- Identifying the main and secondary ideas and expressing them with linguistic correctness.
- Identifying the social and economic tensions that triggered the transition from the Middle Ages to the Early Modern Period.
- Identifying the social, economic and political structures of the contemporary world.
- Identifying the specific methods of history and their relationship with the analysis of particular facts.
- Interpreting the plurality and heterogeneity of the cultural development of Humanity.
- Interpreting the regulatory information that is located in the web pages of regulatory institutions.
- Organising and planning the search of historical information.
- Organising and summarising the different explanations about the causes of social change in the different historical stages of the Catalan society.
- Properly using the specific vocabulary of History.
- Reading and interpreting historiographical texts or original documents and transcribing, summarising and cataloguing information from the Middle Ages.
- Recognising the most appropriate bibliographic databases in order to obtain sources of a specific issue.
- Solving problems autonomously.
- Using the characteristic computing resources of the field of History.
- Using the characteristic investigation sources of the history of Catalonia.
- Working in teams respecting the other's points of view.
Content
1. The Middle Ages: concepts, periods, tools.
2. From the disintegration of the Roman Empire to the end of the Carolingian Empire (4th-10th centuries).
3. The Byzantine Empire: from the origins to the Eastern Schism (4th-11th century).
4. Muhammad, Islam and the first Islamic states (7th-10th c.).
5. Feudalism (11th-13th c.).
6. Disintegration and reconstitution of the Byzantine Empire: from the Komnenos dynasty to the Latin Empire (11th-13th c.).
7. The three caliphates: from the fitna to the end of the Abbasid caliphate (10th-13th c.).
8. Crisis and reconstruction of feudal Europe (14th-15th centuries).
9. The end of the Byzantine Empire: from the Palaiologos dynasty to the capture of Constantinople (13th-15th c.).
10. Islam: from the Mongol Empire to reunification under the Turks (13th-15th c.).
Activities and Methodology
| Title | Hours | ECTS | Learning Outcomes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Type: Directed | |||
| Seminars and other activities guided by lecturers | 15 | 0.6 | 3, 2, 6, 11, 17, 14, 15, 18, 23, 20, 9, 8, 28, 22, 26 |
| Theoretical classes | 21 | 0.84 | 3, 11, 17, 14, 15, 19, 18, 23, 20, 24, 22 |
| Type: Supervised | |||
| Tutorial seasons for the preparation of assignments (oral and written) and for the preparation of theoretical and practical content. | 20 | 0.8 | 6, 14, 19, 23, 20, 24, 22, 26 |
| Type: Autonomous | |||
| Elaboration of essays and commentaries. | 30 | 1.2 | 3, 25, 2, 6, 7, 14, 19, 18, 23, 20, 21, 24, 22, 26 |
| Individual study | 49 | 1.96 | 25, 14, 23, 20, 21, 22, 26 |
- Directed activities:
- Lectures delivered by the teaching staff.
- Seminar sessions and practical classes led by instructors. These practical sessions may take place outside the UAB, in the form of visits to museums, monuments, or cultural landscapes.
- Close reading of texts and interpretation of maps, graphs, tables, and archaeological documents.
- Supervised activities:
- Tutorial sessions aimed at guiding students in the preparation of assignments (both oral and written) and in the study of theoretical and practical content.
- Independent activities:
- Individual study.
- Completion of assignments and analytical commentaries.
At the beginning of the semester, the teaching staff will inform students of the scheduled office hours for face-to-face tutorials throughout the term, in order to support them in the preparation of assignments and the overall study of both theoretical and practical course content.
Note: Fifteen minutes of one class session, as determined by the faculty/school’s academic calendar, will be allocated for students to complete the evaluations of teaching performance and the course itself.
Annotation: Within the schedule set by the centre or degree programme, 15 minutes of one class will be reserved for students to evaluate their lecturers and their courses or modules through questionnaires.
Assessment
Continous Assessment Activities
| Title | Weighting | Hours | ECTS | Learning Outcomes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Essay(s) | 30% | 11 | 0.44 | 3, 1, 25, 5, 4, 2, 6, 7, 10, 11, 12, 13, 17, 16, 14, 15, 19, 18, 23, 20, 21, 9, 24, 8, 28, 22, 26, 27 |
| Reading Control | 20% | 1 | 0.04 | 3, 25, 2, 6, 7, 17, 15, 23, 20, 22, 27 |
| Syntehsis test 2 | 25% | 1.5 | 0.06 | 3, 2, 6, 7, 11, 17, 14, 15, 18, 23, 21, 9, 22, 26 |
| Synthesis test 1 | 25% | 1.5 | 0.06 | 3, 2, 6, 7, 11, 17, 14, 15, 18, 23, 21, 9, 22, 26 |
The assessment system will be based on the completion of four activities. Below are the types of assessment and the percentage each contributes to the overall grade:
-
Synthesis test 1: 25%
-
Synthesis test 2: 25%
-
Reading comprehension test: 20%
-
Practical work: 30%
At the time of each evaluative activity, the lecturer will inform students (via Moodle) of the procedure and the date for reviewing the grades.
To pass the course, students must achieve an overall average mark of 5 or higher across all assessment activities. Furthermore, to calculate the average, it is mandatory to pass at least one of the two synthesis tests with a minimum mark of 5. Students who fail both synthesis tests must sit the resit exam, regardless of their weighted average. Any activity that is not completed or submitted will be graded as 0 for the purpose of calculating the final average.
Students may earn up to an additional 0.5 points on their final average by attending seminars, conferences, congresses, or other activities previously approved by the course instructors, provided they are directly related to the subject matter. Attendance must be certified and a brief report on the activity submitted. The teaching staff will provide specific guidelines at the beginning of the semester. These 0.5 extra points will only be applied if the course has been passed and may not be used to reach the minimum passing grade of 5 or to avoid the resit exam. Likewise, the final coursegrade may not exceed 10.
Students may access the resit examination provided that all required assessment activities have been submitted or completed within the deadlines set by the teaching staff. No new activity may be submitted for the first time during the resit period.
To participate in the resit process, the student must have been previously assessed in activities that amount to at least two-thirds of the total assessment weight.
In order to be eligible for the resit, students must have obtained an average mark of at least 3.5 across all assessment activities. Students who do not reach this threshold will not be permitted to take the resit exam.
The resit for the synthesis tests will consist of a written exam covering the entire course content and will take place on the date scheduled by the faculty.
The maximum grade that can be obtained in any resit activity is 5. Resits will not be considered an opportunity to improve marks.
A student will receive a "Not Assessable" grade if they have not completed at least two-thirds of the assessment activities.
The schedule for assessment activities may not be altered except in exceptional, justified circumstances. Erasmus students who wish to take an exam in advance must submit an official request from their home university justifying the reason.
If a student commits any academic irregularity that may significantly alter the outcome of an assessment, the activity in question will receive a grade of 0, regardless of any disciplinary proceedings. In cases of multiple irregularities within the same course, the final grade will be 0.
Any form of misconduct (e.g. plagiarism, copying, use of unauthorised devices such as digital watches, smartphones, headphones, or similar items) will result in a grade of 0 for the relevant activity, which will not be eligible for resit.
The use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) technologies is strictly prohibited in any phase of this course. Any work found to contain AI-generated content will be considered a breach of academic integrity, will receive a grade of 0, will not be resit-eligible, and may incur further disciplinary action in severe cases.
All submitted work will be evaluated on spelling accuracy, clarity of expression, and proper writing. Serious deficiencies in these areas may result in failure to pass the course.
During the semester, a voluntary visit to an archive, museum, or other site related to the course content may be organised. Participation is optional and will not influence the final grade. Students must cover any expenses incurred (e.g., transport or entrance fees). Details of the activity will be provided by the teaching staff during the term.
This subject does not incorporate single assessment
Bibliography
Recommended basic bibliography
Baschet, Jérôme: La civilización feudal. Europa del año mil a la colonización de América. Ciudad de México: Fondo de Cultura Económica, 2010.
Blockmans, Wim i Hoppenbrouwers, Peter: Introduction to Medieval Europe 300–1500. Abingdon (UK): Routledge, 2023.
Boucheron, Patrick, Denis Menjot i Marc Boone: Historia de la Europa Urbana. II. La ciudad medieval. València: Publicacions de la Universitat de València, 2010.
Contamine, Philippe, Bompaire, Marc, Lebecq, Stéphane i Sarrazin, Jean-Luc: La economía medieval. Madrid: Akal, 2000.
Donado Vara, Julián i Ana Echevarría Arsuaga: Historia Medieval I (siglos V-XII). Madrid: UNED, 2014.
Donado Vara, Julián, Ana Echevarría Arsuaga i Carlos Baquero Goñi: Historia Medieval II (siglos XIII-XV). Madrid: UNED, 2014.
García de Cortázar y Ruiz de Aguirre i José Ángel Sesma Muñoz: Manual de Historia Medieval. Madrid: Alianza Editorial, 2008 (quarta reimpressió, 2012).
Herrin, Judith: Bizancio: el imperio que hizo posible la Europa Moderna. Barcelona: Editorial Debate, 2022.
Ladero Quesada, Miguel Ángel: Historia de la Edad Media. Siglos IV a XV. Madrid: Editorial Dykinson, 2025.
Salrach i Marès, Josep Maria: Entre Roma i el Renaixement. Història i textos de l'Occident Medieval. Vic: Eumo, 2002.
Wickham, Chris: Europa en la Edad Media. Una nueva interpretación. Barcelona: Editorial Crítica, 2017.
Complementary bibliography (by periods and topics)
Bartlett, Robert: La formación de Europa. Conquista, civilización y cambio cultural, 950-1350. València: Publicacions Universitat de València, 2003.
Bartlett, Robert: Fire and Water: The Medieval Judicial Ordeal. Oxford (UK): Oxford University Press, 2014.
Bois, Guy: La gran depresión medieval: siglos XIV-XV. El precedente de una crisis sistémica. València: Publicacions de la Universitat de València, 2001.
Bresh, Henri, Pierre Guichard i Robert Mantran: Europa y el Islam en la Edad Media. Barcelona: Editorial Crítica, 2001.
Brown, Peter: The World of Late Antiquity: AD 150-750 (World of Art). Londres: Thames and Hudson Ltd., 2024.
Calvo Gómez, José Antonio: El clero y los religiosos en la Edad Media. Madrid: Editorial Síntesis, 2017.
Faci Lacasta, Javier: Introducción al mundo bizantino. Madrid: Editorial Síntesis, 1996.
Feller, Laurent: Campesinos y señores en la Edad Media: siglos VIII-XV. València: Publicacions de la Universitat de València, 2015.
Fiore, Alessio i Poloni, Alma: L’economia medievale. Un profilo storico (secoli V-Xv). Roma: Carocci Editori, 2024.
García Espada, Antonio: El imperio mongol. Madrid: Editorial Síntesis, 2017.
García Sanjuán, Alejandro: Las sociedades islámicas clásicas (siglos VII-XV). Madrid: Editorial Síntesis, 2022.
Guijarro González, Susana: Enseñanzas, saberes y universidades en la Europa medieval. Madrid: Editorial Síntesis, 2018.
Haywood, John: Los Hombres del Norte: la saga vikinga (793-1241). Barcelona: Ariel, 2016.
Heather, Peter: Cristiandad. El triunfo de una religión. Barcelona: Crítica, 2024.
Hilton, Rodney: L'alliberament dels serfs. Els moviments camperols medievals i la revolta anglesa de 1381. València: Publicacions de la Universitat de València, 2013.
Kennedy, Hugh: Las grandes conquistas árabes. Barcelona: Grupo Planeta, 2007.
Maalouf, Amin: Las cruzadas vistas por lo árabes. Madrid: Alianza editorial, 1989.
Morsel, Joseph: La aristocracia medieval: el dominio social en Occidente, siglos V-XV. València: Publicacions de la Universitat de València, 2008.
Mitre Fernández, Emilio: La Iglesia en la Edad Media. Madrid: Editorial Síntesis, 2010.
Sanz Serrano, Rosa: Las migraciones bárbaras y la creación de los primeros reinos de Occidente. Madrid: Editorial Síntesis, 1999.
Toubert, Pierre: Europa en su primer crecimiento. De Carlomagano al año mil. València: Publicacions de la Universitat de València, 2006.
Vinyoles Vidal, Teresa: Història de les dones a la Catalunya medieval. Lleida: Pagès Editors, 2005.
Bibliography for work
Bonnassie, Pierre: Vocabulario básico de la historia medieval. Barcelona: Editorial Crítica, 1983.
Duby, Georges: Atals histórico mundial. Barcelona: Larousse, 2007.
Kinder, Hermann i Werner Hilgemann: Atlas Histórico Mundial. Madrid: Editorial Istmo, 1999, 2 vol.
Le Goff, Jacques i Jean-Claude Schmitt (eds.): Diccionario razonado del Occidente Medieval. Madrid: Ediciones Akal, 2003.
Loyn, Henry Royston. Diccionario Akal de Historia Medieval. Madrid: Akal, 1998.
MacKay, Angus i David Ditchburn (eds). Atlas de Europa Medieval. Madrid: Cátedra, 1999.
Salrach i Marès, Josep Maria: Entre Roma i el Renaixement. Història i textos de l'Occident Medieval. Vic: Eumo, 2002.
How to citeand preparate the bibliography: https://www.uab.cat/web/estudia-iinvestiga/com-citar-i-elaborar-la-bibliografia-1345708785665.html
Software
-
Groups and Languages
Please note that this information is provisional until 30 November 2025. You can check it through this link. To consult the language you will need to enter the CODE of the subject.
| Name | Group | Language | Semester | Turn |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| (PAUL) Classroom practices | 1 | Catalan | first semester | morning-mixed |
| (PAUL) Classroom practices | 2 | Catalan | first semester | morning-mixed |
| (PAUL) Classroom practices | 3 | Catalan | second semester | morning-mixed |
| (TE) Theory | 1 | Catalan | first semester | morning-mixed |
| (TE) Theory | 2 | Catalan | first semester | morning-mixed |
| (TE) Theory | 3 | Catalan | second semester | morning-mixed |