Timetable: Thursdays, 5-6.30pm (British time) . All classes will be taught virtually. Classes will start on 9 January 2025 through 6 March 2025, for a total of nine sessions (see the Course Schedule link below) including an optional informal test at the end of the course.

Aims: Although the course will inevitably include references to book history and production as context, the focus will be on deciphering and transcribing various kinds of hands (or, in the case of print, fonts). In other words, participants should expect a lot of practice as opposed to lectures, although the instructor will also provide relevant presentations as part of each session. Sample materials will range from printed books and formal presentation manuscripts to messy archival documents, roughly in order of difficulty.

Primary audience: MA or PhD students, plus researchers who wish to develop their facility with original Italian sources. External participants are more than welcome. A solid grasp of Italian (at least intermediate level) is required. Participants should expect weekly preparation times of around 2 hours per week (but, as with many things, the more time you put into your homework and preparation, the more you will get out of it!).

Modalities: All classes will be online via Microsoft Teams. Each class will typically consist of three main components: a review of transcriptions assigned as homework; a shortish lecture/presentation on scripts and/or related cultural topics; and small-group work to transcribe and describe previously-unseen texts.

Credit information: This course does not carry any credits, but participants who pass the end-of-term test will be eligible to receive a certificate attesting that they have completed the course successfully.

Textbooks: There is not an official textbook for the course, but students will find it helpful to acquire Adriano Cappelli, Lexicon abbreviaturarum. Dizionario di abbreviature latine ed italiane (see the Bibliography link on the right), although they may also, of course, use the PDF version provided. Also helpful is Bischoff, Latin Palaeography, which provides a history of various Latin scripts, with relevant discussions about the development of vernacular scripts. Other useful tools and materials available online are listed in the Bibliography link.

Fees: Non-Warwick students will need to pay the full course fee of £200 at the beginning of term. Participants from institutions belonging to the Newberry Library's Center for Renaissance Studies Consortium may be able to claim their fees back from local Newberry funds; ask your local representative for more information.

Application: Places on the course are limited, so selection will be based on the details given in your brief application. Registration form can be found here.Link opens in a new window Deadline for applications is Friday 3rd January 2025.