Dr John Law, Reader in History in the School of Arts and Humanities at Swansea University has been appointed a member of the advisory committee to Translating the Past: a Workshop on Medieval and Renaissance Sources devoted to Italian Art History, History and Literature. The workshop, which will run for the first time in Florence in June 2010 is aimed at postgraduate students. The programme is being validated by Johns Hopkins University and the Istituto Storico Italiano per il Medio Evo. Dr Law is also a guest lecturer on this course.
There is growing concern that graduates interested in the study of medieval and renaissance Italy are ill-equipped in terms of the ‘skills’; they need for their research. To offer a solution to this situation, an intensive course for postgraduates is being launched in Florence, for the first time in June 2010. It has received the support of a number of leading universities and research institution in Florence and elsewhere.
The workshop aims to introduce postgraduate students to the following subjects: philology, diplomatics, codicology, palaeography. Its nature will be primarily practical, as students will be taught to read, describe and edit Latin and Italian vernacular sources from the Middle Ages and the Renaissance. To this end, lectures will alternate with visits to archives and libraries in Florence and elsewhere. All classes will be in English. Since a knowledge of Latin and Italian is essential, students will practise translating documents and printed texts from these languages into English. To better contextualise their work, they will also be expected to attend lectures on topics related to medieval and renaissance culture, such as history, art and architecture, translation theory, economics, patronage, philosophy and literature.