In 2025, our medieval Europe study abroad trip will begin in Northeastern Italy, with visits of Padua, Ravenna, Ferrara, and Venice. From there we’ll go to Salzburg (Austria), visiting neighboring castles and medieval towns, then to Nuremberg (Germany, with visits of Rothenburg, Würzburg, Bamberg, and Nuremberg (Germany), and conclude in Prague and Kutna Hora (Czech Republic). Departure May 17, return on June 6, 2025.
Syllabus: or:
https://sites.arizona.edu/aclassen/wp-admin/post.php?post=4746&action=edit
For ease of use, here a copy:
Schedule (will be adjusted during our travel time)
Day 1 and 2: May 18 and 19: Introduction: The history, social structure, and political system of the Middle Ages. The literary, religious, and philosophical foundations. We will ignore much of the details reg. the history of lit. and religion – just too many names for our purposes. Instead: time frame, social structure, religion, the various cultural periods, major wars.
- Who was Charlemagne, and why was he so successful?
- What role did the Christian Church play? What institutions existed to make its spread so successful?
- What are the principles of feudalism?
- What is a monastery, and a cathedral? Who was the earliest founder of a monastic order?
- What do we know about Jews and the diaspora?
- Who were some of the founding fathers of the Christian Church in the early Middle Ages?
- What peoples attacked early medieval Europe? Why were they so successful?
- Who were the Dominicans and Franciscans? What are beguines? And mystics? Mention some names.
- Rise of medieval cities, craftsmanship, banking.
- What elements does Amt identify for the late Middle Ages?
- The Fall of Constantinople
- The printing press
- The ‘discovery’ of America
- Humanism/Renaissance
- The Protestant Reformation
- Identify two major writers and provide us with a brief introduction, try to mix early, high, and late Middle Ages
- Romanesque
- Gothic
- Renaissance
- Baroque
Day 3: May 20: The early Middle Ages: Hildebrandslied: Critique of feudalism and vassalage.
Day 4: May 21: The end of the Middle Ages: Nicholas of Cusa: Fall of Constantinople, yet Christian outreach to the Turks: History of toleration, religious conflicts. I collect your journal for a preliminary review
Day 5: May 22: The Christian Church and its value system: “Our Lady’s Tumbler”: the high Middle Ages: The search for the self within a religious context.
Day 6: May 23: Feminism in the Late Middle Ages: Gender politics. Christine de Pizan
Day 7: May 24: The role of women in the high Middle Ages: Marie de France: Love, marriage, sexuality. 1st journal is due
Day 8: May 25: Cont. Marie de France
Day 9 and 10: May 26 and 27: The political and social system of medieval society as reflected in literary terms: Dante, Divina Comedia
Day 11: May 28: Economic and political aspects in the early Middle Ages: Charlemagne: estate management, agriculture
Day 12: May 29: The schools and universities: Bruno of Cologne; 2nd journal is due
Day 13: May 30: Miracles, faith, and religious tales: Caesarius of Heisterbach
Day 14: May 31: Rationalism, philosophy, and the university schools: Abelard: Yea and Nay
Day 15: June 1: Abelard and Heloise: a political scandal
Day 16: June 2: Political criticism of the Church: Walther von der Vogelweide: social, ethical, and moral issues
Day 17: June 3: The role of nobility and philosophical and religious quests: Hartmann von Aue, Lord Henry.
Day 18 and 19: June 4 and 5: Late-medieval discourse on justice, individual happiness, and self-realization: Johannes of Tepl. 3rd journal is due on June 4 for final grade
Day 20: June 6: return home
Grading:
Keep a journal for every day, write on your reading experience, on the discussion in class, and on the excursions. These journal entries must be well designed, critical, and in good English. I will collect the journals for an advance feedback from me after 3 days (only comments). Thereafter I’ll collect the journals for grading three times. Please consult with me if you face any problems or need further input.
I expect ca. 1-2 pp. per day, or ca. 150 words. You must engage with every text covered in class, and always provide some reflections on what we studied on our excursions. Be creative, include images, entry tickets, photos, and other mementos. You can also conceive of a visual portfolio, as long as it is accompanied by an extensive and critical narrative.
Here your tour leaders, Prof. A. Classen and his wife Carolyn, both highly experienced since 2004:
We will stay in centrally-located hotels in all 4 cities and will go on daily excursions either visiting the local sites or neighboring towns, such as going from Padua to Venice, or from Salzburg to Werfen (castle Hohenwerfen).
You will share the room with one or two other students, unless you opt for a single which would cost extra.
Previous experiences by students
More Travel Information
Travel requirement: only one suitcase (up to 50 pounds) and a carry-on, or backpack. Check with the airline policy. You must have an umbrella and a watch. For further details, see the checklist with travel tips Participants must be in good physical health, fit to hike relatively steep hills to visit castles and churches without outside help, walk for a longer stretch when we explore medieval cities or monasteries, and keep up with a fairly fast pace. Our hotels are normally centrally located, but sometimes that cannot be the case, or the bus might not be able to take us close to it, requiring you to pull your suitcase/s for some distance and up the stairs, if the elevator in the hotel does not work or does not exist.
Helpful links:
Spanish castle
Castillo de Loarres, Spain (as an example)
The Classen March
For an enjoyable activity when we need to cover some distances:
Always count on the left foot:
eins, zwei, drei, vier, fuenf, sechs, sieben, acht, neun, zehn, ein Stock, ein Hut, ein Schirm, und (this one brings both feet together), (while standing, move the left foot) vorwaerts, rueckwaerts, seitwaerts, und…. then you start marching and counting again.
Every one of our study tours since 2004 has been a most positive, life-changing experience, but there could also be problems; hence, please note:
General alert: Grounds for dismissal from the program:
- theft from anyone
- violent behavior (physical and /or mental)
- chronic and deliberate non-attendance of class and/or excursions
- chronic and excessive tardiness
- disregard of the code of conduct of the University of Arizona
- inappropriate consumption of alcohol or drugs
- failure to do your homework and to participate in class
Process:
1. Verbal warning 2. Written warning 3. Dismissal if the problem continues
In really egregious cases, in consultation with Study Abroad, I could remove you from the program on the spot.