Medieval Studies

Medieval Studies, Pontifical Institute of

laurie.bulchak — Sat, 27 Jul 2024 18:27:53 +0000

Medieval Studies, Pontifical Institute of laurie.bulchak Sat, 07/27/2024 - 14:27

URL

https://pims.ca

Pontifical Institute of Mediaeval Studies Library

laurie.bulchak — Sat, 27 Jul 2024 18:24:53 +0000

Pontifical Institute of Mediaeval Studies Library laurie.bulchak Sat, 07/27/2024 - 14:24

URL

https://pims.ca/article/general-information-hours-access-staff/

Medieval studies students bring the diverse gender experiences of the past into the present

siddiq22 — Thu, 01 Jun 2023 20:16:38 +0000

Medieval studies students bring the diverse gender experiences of the past into the present

siddiq22 Thu, 06/01/2023 - 16:16

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Medieval studies student Dena Abtahi researched the trial of Katherina Hetzeldorfer, who was executed in 1477 (photo by Diana Tyszko)

Sean McNeely

Topic

Our Community

Faculty of Arts & Science

LGBTQ

Medieval Studies

New College

St. Michael's College

Undergrad Research

Subheadline

Exhibit highlighted examples of saints and other historical figures who challenged traditional gender roles

Students from the ��Ƶ’s department of medieval studies in the Faculty of Arts & Science recently presented an exhibit that highlighted the diverse gender experiences of people during the medieval period.

Students from the Medieval Genders and Sexualities course held a poster fair at St. Michael’s College that showcased specific historical figures (including many saints), offering evidence of people who lived outside of – or challenged – gender norms.

The exhibition capped the upper-year undergraduate course, which explores ideas about sexes, genders and sexualities in the medieval Christian West.

For the exhibit, second-year student Hilary Packard explored the history of French saint Joan of Arc
(photo by Diana Tyszko)

“Parts of our society tend to think that aspects of sexualities and genders that we see now are part of some social change that's gone on in the past decade,” Murray says. “These misunderstandings are fueling the harshness and the almost inhumane treatment that we see of trans people in some quarters of society, particularly in the United States.”

Twelve students working individually and in groups presented six posters covering important figures from the 5th to 15th centuries, highlighting how they have been understood and misunderstood throughout history.

Hilary Packard, a second-year visual studies student in the Daniels Faculty of Architecture, Landscape and Design who is also taking courses in medieval studies, was part of a trio that created a poster about Joan of Arc, a French saint who was burned at the stake for heresy.

“I loved the fact that I got to dive deeper into Joan’s story,” Packard says.

Scholars and artists have more recently begun to see Joan’s cross-dressing as more of a representation of masculine gender expression, as opposed to the more traditional view that she wore masculine clothing to appear sexless.

“I'm American and I’m trans, so being able to put this into the context of history and to say, ‘We've been here all along and we belong here’ is a very powerful thing because a lot of the arguments people are making are that people just started being trans in this century,” Packard says.

"I’m getting to see the historical re-evaluation that is currently happening, this new wave of understanding with people reflecting their own stories back on things – that's how history should work.”

The Trans Middle Ages Poster Fair was held in the John M. Kelly Library at St. Michael's College (photo by Diana Tyszko)

Fourth-year student Dena Abtahi created a poster covering the trial of Katherina Hetzeldorfer, who is considered the first woman to be executed for homosexuality – a then-nameless crime – in 1477. Originally from Nuremberg, Hetzeldorfer moved to Speyer in 1475 and dressed as a man in the company of a woman, where they both lived together as a married couple.

“Katherina’s is one of the first historical accounts of trans people, which allows for people in our generations to look back and see that LGTBQ+ individuals have always been around,” says Abtahi, who is studying human biology and molecular biology.

“In this sense, Katherina is a symbol of the importance of self-expression and self-identification. “And in so many ways, Katherina's story highlighted how in some respects our society has remained stagnant on views pertaining to LGBTQ+ people and their rights.”

For Abtahi, researching a person being persecuted for simply being who they want to be struck a personal chord.

“People in Iran, where I am from, are being killed for being gay or being transgender,” she says. “And in Iran, when people do come out as homosexual, there are some instances where they are forced to undergo transgender surgery, as way of a correction.”

Sasha Jennings, left, discusses her research on Hildegund, a German saint (photo by Diana Tyszko)

Sasha Jennings, a third-year student studying classics, medieval studies and Celtic studies, was part of a duo that created a poster about Hildegund, a German saint who was assigned female at birth but adopted the name Joseph and joined a Cistercian monastery as a man.

In fact, it was only after Joseph’s death in 1188, as his body was being prepared for burial, that his fellow monks discovered that their brother was in fact born female.

Joseph’s life went on to be recorded as an example of piety for Cistercian nuns and monks to aspire to – portraying Joseph as a physically and spiritually pure asset to the monastery.

“When it comes to religious identity, there's a really interesting relationship between gender fluidity and piety and sanctity,” Jennings says.

“There was an idea that if you could shed your biological limitations – especially if you were a biological woman – that put you on the path to religious piety and sanctity, and that was seen as a very good thing.”

Course instructor Jacqueline Murray, a graduate of U of T's Centre for Medieval Studies and a university professor emerita from the University of Guelph, says that in researching these ancient examples of gender fluidity, the students have come away with an understanding of what the stories of Hetzeldorfer, Hildegund, Joan of Arc and others mean in the modern context.

“Understanding trans issues and trans people has become so important in our society,” Murray says.

“We're trying to be part of this process of giving trans people their history, because there are – and have always been – many ways that individuals experience and live their identity.”

‘A pedagogy of kindness’: U of T faculty find creative ways to support students, learning during COVID-19

Christopher.Sorensen — Thu, 14 May 2020 12:53:12 +0000

‘A pedagogy of kindness’: U of T faculty find creative ways to support students, learning during COVID-19

Christopher.Sorensen Thu, 05/14/2020 - 08:53

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U of T Assistant Professor Fabian Parsch, who sings in a barbershop quartet, re-created the warmth of his classroom environment by saying goodbye to students to the tune of “The Lion Sleeps Tonight” in a video performance (image via YouTube)

Topic

Munk School of Global Affairs & Public Policy

English

Faculty & Staff

Faculty of Arts & Science

Global

Graduate Students

Lester B. Pearson International Scholarship

St. Michael's College

U of T Mississauga

U of T Scarborough

Undergraduate Students

His students could no longer attend classes in person because of COVID-19, but as the academic year drew to a close Fabian Parsch was determined to give them a heartfelt send-off from afar.

The assistant professor, teaching stream, in the department of mathematics in the Faculty of Arts & Science – whose hobbies include singing in a barbershop quartet – put his a cappella skills to work in a video in which he says goodbye to his students and thanks his teaching assistants, all to the tune of “The Lion Sleeps Tonight.”

He adapted the lyrics for the occasion. “In the summer, the quiet summer, the teacher takes a break,” sings Parsch, who was part of a U of T campus ensemble as a graduate student. The video was screened on Zoom in the last lecture of MAT187, a calculus course for engineering students, then reposted to social media where it reached a broader audience. “This is the cutest thing I’ve ever seen,” one viewer said on Reddit.

For Parsch, the video was a way of re-connecting with students and re-creating the warmth and friendliness typical of his classroom environment – after weeks of social distancing.

“The classroom is the nucleus of the experience you have in university,” he says. “You find your friends in the classroom, you talk about your classes and so on. I felt I had to give them a nice social experience.”

While not all U of T professors are as musically inclined, many have demonstrated a similar flair for improvisation under challenging circumstances, seeking to deliver a U of T education from a distance while doing what they can to lift students’ spirits.

Many have used online forums or email to check in on their students. “Above all: my priority in this enterprise is YOU, your health and well-being,” Alexandra Bolintineanu, an assistant professor, teaching stream, in medieval digital studies, told her students after U of T suspended in-person classes. “Let me know how to support you. I will do my human best,” she wrote. The course, Getting Medieval: Place and Spaces, covers the plague – a topic she told students she wished they didn’t have to understand “quite so experientially.”

Bolintineanu had been looking forward to bringing homemade “medieval gingerbread” to the last class. But this year all she could do was share the manuscript and recipe online.

“A student took up the challenge and shared pictures of the prettiest medieval gingerbread they had concocted at home,” Bolintineanu told U of T News. “My heart grew three sizes at least.”

As for Parsch, he has held drop-in hours over Zoom, where his conversations with students have often veered far beyond calculus.

“It’s crazy sometimes the situations that they’re in, with travel troubles or family issues brought on by the pandemic,” Parsch says, noting students who weren’t able to complete their work on time because of COVID-19-related disruptions were granted extensions.

The move to online classes hasn’t been without obstacles for instructors, Parsh adds, since many professors had to learn on the fly how to adjust homework and teach classes without the usual visual cues that signal when students have lost focus.

U of T Assistant Professor Fabian Parsch says his Zoom conversations with students have extended beyond coursework (photo by Nick Iwanyshyn)

“If there was ever a time for a pedagogy of kindness it would be now,” says Fiona Rawle, who has been helping her fellow faculty members navigate the challenges associated with teaching remotely.

“It’s so easy to focus on the pressures that are right in front of you and easy to forget about the pressures and stresses in front of other people.”

An associate dean of undergraduate studies at U of T Mississauga and an associate professor, teaching stream, in biology, Rawle partnered with staff at the campus’s academic skills centre and library to host lunchtime teaching and learning exchanges, where faculty can swap notes on course design and teaching in an online environment.

In effort to bridge the professor-student divide created by social distancing, Rawle took to social media to ask students what they want their professors to know, and vice versa.

“You realize your worries overlap and we have a lot in common,” Rawle says of the many professors and students who responded by expressing sympathy and support for each other. One user, whose Twitter handle identified her as a U of T student in molecular biology, replied: “I want my professors to know that while students are struggling, most of us understand that profs are struggling too.”

Associate Professor Fiona Rawle took to social media to ask students what they want their professors to know, and vice versa, prompting responses from many students and professors (photo by Lucas Rawle)

Some professors have gone to extraordinary lengths to give students a quality experience in their course – even if it can no longer be taught in exactly the same way.

Randy Boyagoda, a professor of English in the Faculty of Arts & Science, teaches a St. Michael’s College seminar on faith and ideas that takes about 30 first-year students to Rome for a first-hand look at how the Catholic Church and the Vatican have shaped public life.

With a two-week trip to Italy out of the question during the pandemic, Boyagoda says he and university staff worked with site partners in Rome to postpone the trip until next spring, when the students in this year’s seminar will presumably be able to travel with next year’s class.

In the meantime, he has invited students to take virtual tours of the museums they would have visited and has put his class in touch with former students who had gone to Rome, to give them an idea of what this year’s class is waiting for.

Boyagoda, who is also principal and vice-president of the University of St. Michael’s College, has invited students to take virtual tours of the museums they would have visited and has put his class in touch with former students who have travelled to Rome for the course, to give them a better idea of what awaits them next year.

Randy Boyagoda, principal and vice-president of the University of St. Michael’s College, has invited students to take virtual tours of the museums they would have visited during an annual class trip to Rome that was postponed this year because of COVID-19 (photo by Nick Iwanyshyn)

Maintaining personal connections with students has also been central to Joe Wong’s approach. The Ralph and Roz Halbert Professor of Innovation at the Munk School of Global Affairs & Public Policy and political science professor in the Faculty of Arts & Science has kept up with students in the Munk One program through new bi-weekly seminars held over Zoom he started since COVID-19 forced students off campus.

He has also addressed students’ concerns in one-on-one conversations over email.

When Katie Kwang, a psychology and economics student from Singapore and Lester B. Pearson Scholar, worried about the consequences of the pandemic - not just for her own future, but for people around the world already in dire straits - she emailed Wong, who provided reassurance and guidance.

“I’m amazed by the resilience she showed just getting home,” says Wong, who is U of T’s vice-provost and associate vice-president, international student experience.

Although professors can no longer meet with them in person, students should know that they remain part of the U of T community and can get help from their professors, peers and university staff, Wong says.

“It’s important for students to feel like they’re continually engaging the university and that they have that sense of community.”

U of T alumnus Tony Comper establishes professorship of medieval studies at St. Michael's

Christopher.Sorensen — Tue, 03 Mar 2020 14:56:20 +0000

U of T alumnus Tony Comper establishes professorship of medieval studies at St. Michael's

Christopher.Sorensen Tue, 03/03/2020 - 09:56

Catherine Mulroney

Topic

Our Community

Alumni

Faculty of Arts & Science

Medieval Studies

University of St. Michael's College

David Sylvester, the president and vice-chancellor of the University of St. Michael’s College in the ��Ƶ, has announced the establishment of the Comper Professorship in Medieval Studies.

This newly endowed position was made possible by an investment by Tony Comper, a St. Michael’s alumnus. Sylvester also announced that Alison More has been appointed the inaugural holder of the Comper Professorship. More, an assistant professor, is a highly regarded scholar of Latin whose research investigates the intersections of social and religious culture in late-medieval Northern Europe.

The donation reflects Comper’s firm belief that studying the humanities offers invaluable benefits both personally and professionally – and that St. Michael’s is on the right path with its renewal as a vibrant centre of undergraduate education at U of T.

“Studying liberal arts, in particular literature, provides significant insight into human nature; (it offers) essential knowledge in interpersonal skills, the most important skill for success in business and indeed in life,” says Comper (left), who is the retired president and CEO of BMO Financial Group.

Comper recently returned to U of T to take courses in Medieval Studies, a Faculty of Arts & Science undergraduate program sponsored by the University of St. Michael’s College that is available to all U of T arts and science students. This gave him a front-row seat to the revitalization of arts and science undergraduate programs sponsored by St. Michael’s. Pleased with what he saw, he offered the university a unique hybrid investment in teaching by funding this position. The gift is comprised of a multi-million dollar bequest and the promise of annual funding, effective immediately, in the intervening years to cover salary and benefits. The faculty position is one of six that St. Michael’s implemented in 2017 as part of its focus on teaching excellence in the four undergraduate programs it sponsors: Book and Media Studies, Christianity and Culture, Celtic Studies, and Medieval Studies.

More (left) came to St. Michael’s from the Centre for Medieval and Early Modern Studies at the University of Kent, where she designed and taught core courses on Latin and palaeography. She and the other assistant professors who joined the community at St. Michael’s and U of T three years ago have become a vital part of social and academic renewal. They have enhanced students’ learning experiences through their engaged and creative teaching and research interests, and have contributed a great deal to the culture and community of the college beyond the classroom by supporting student-run initiatives and presenting public lectures for alumni. The Comper gift, meanwhile, represents the first step in a campaign to ensure the professorships remain permanent.

“This generous gift is an extraordinary demonstration of the confidence in the renaissance underway at St. Michael’s,” says Sylvester. “It’s also a model of funding for other professorships, and an ideal example of how St. Mike’s continues to renew itself through endowed legacy positions. We’re thrilled that an outstanding philanthropist like Comper has demonstrated his dedication to his alma mater in this way.”

“St. Michael’s and the wider U of T share a long tradition of international excellence in the field of medieval studies,” says U of T President Meric Gertler. “Tony Comper’s wonderful gift will help to strengthen that tradition for future generations, and to accelerate the renewal of undergraduate education at the college. His generosity also builds on his long record of leadership in the University community, including his previous service as chair of U of T’s Governing Council, as well as his and his late wife Elizabeth’s support for the Anne Tanenbaum Centre for Jewish Studies. We applaud this latest contribution to our collective success.”

With its combination of intensive Latin study alongside explorations of theology, literature, history, culture and manuscripts, the Medieval Studies program invites students not just to study the Middle Ages, but to also join a great tradition of inquiry and discovery that’s enlivened by the world-renowned professors who have taught medieval studies at St. Michael’s over the years, including Étienne Gilson, Jacques Maritain, Edward Synan, Margaret Frances Nims, Mary Arthur Knowlton and Colin Chase.

The University of St. Michael’s College has a long tradition of teaching and research in medieval disciplines and its library has rich resources in the field. The Pontifical Institute of Mediaeval Studies library, which is housed in the John M. Kelly Library, includes rare, non-circulating books and draws scholars from around the world. The college recently signed a five-year memorandum of understanding with PIMS and U of T recommitting to collaborative work in research, teaching and publication.

U of T library acquires the oldest English-language book in Canada

Romi Levine — Mon, 23 Apr 2018 04:00:00 +0000

U of T library acquires the oldest English-language book in Canada

Romi Levine Mon, 04/23/2018 - 00:00

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(All photos by Romi Levine)

Topic

Thomas Fisher Rare Book Library

U of T Libraries

Subheadline

The Caxton Cicero was printed in 1481

As people around the world show their appreciation for the printed word on United Nations' World Book Day, ��Ƶ's Thomas Fisher Rare Book Library is making history with the acquisition of what is thought to be the oldest English-language book in Canada.

Printed in 1481, the book includes three texts – Cicero’s De Amicitia (treatise on friendship), De Senectute (treatise on old age) and Giovane Buonaccorso da Montemagno’s De Nobilitate (treatise on nobility).

The book, referred to as the Caxton Cicero, also marks a special milestone for U of T Libraries: it’s the library system’s 15 millionth item.

Only 13 copies of this book exist in its complete form, says Pearce Carefoote, the interim head of rare books and manuscripts at Fisher Library, and he says it’s a rarity in many ways.

“This is the very first text by any classical and humanist author that has been translated into English,” says Carefoote.

The book was one of about 108 books printed by William Caxton, a merchant who is credited with bringing the printing press to England in 1476.

At the end of the first text, Caxton includes a colophon (pictured below), which is an imprint by the printer that includes information about the book’s publication.

The printed text states that the book is “imprinted by me simple person William Caxton into English at the pleasure, solace and reverence of men growing into old age." The writing in ink below the statement is likely a person practising their handwriting, trying to emulate the type – likely from the end of the 15^thcentury, says Carefoote.

Through clues buried inside the book, one can trace the history of the Caxton Cicero back to one of its first owners, Thomas Shupton – thought to be a monk during the time of Henry VIII. It was then given to 16^th-century politician Sir Robert Coke, who passed it on to his nephew. After his nephew’s death, the book was given to Sion College in London, which kept it until 1977 when it was bought by Mexican author Roberto Salinas Price through a rare book dealer.

U of T acquired the text from Price's estate, which was made possible by many donors, led by the B.H. Breslauer Foundation and with the support from the ��Ƶ through a matching grant.

Up until this point, the oldest English-language book in the Fisher Library's collection was its 1507 copy of The Golden Legend, which it acquired in 2016.

The Caxton Cicero allows Fisher to tell a complete history of English-language printed materials, says Carefoote.

“We had this great run of English printed materials from 1507 right up to 2018,” he says. “The one thing we were missing was an English incunable (books printed before 1501).”

Though the book is over 500 years old, the binding was made in the 1980s by a craft binder in Britain, created in a style that was sympathetic to the 15^th-century aesthetic, says Carefoote. It was created using a technique called blind tooling, using leather darkened by carbon.

You could think of the paper used to print the Caxton Cicero as an early example of recycling.

“Paper at this period is made out of linen – often linen undergarments that are reconstituted as paper,” says Carefoote.

The type is essentially a fingerprint, unique to Caxton, says Carefoote.

“One of the ways you can identify books (in early printing) is by type,” he says. “Each printer is making his own type out of lead.”

Carefoote envisions the book being of great interest to a wide range of scholars at U of T and beyond, from those studying book history who can look at the paper, the ink and the type to the departments of classics, medieval studies and history.

Soon, the book will also be digitized, so researchers all over the world will have access to this historical artifact.

U of T course lets students hold history in their hands

geoff.vendeville — Wed, 23 Aug 2017 04:00:00 +0000

U of T course lets students hold history in their hands

geoff.vendeville Wed, 08/23/2017 - 00:00

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This chasse/reliquary made of enamel on bronze from 13th century France is part of the Malcove Collection of the U of T Art Museum. The Getting Medieval course is using the collection for teaching (photo courtesy of Art Museum ��Ƶ)

Geoffrey Vendeville

Author legacy

Geoffrey Vendeville

Topic

City & Culture

Academics

Medieval Studies

Subheadline

Students handle centuries-old artifacts – from oil lamps to needlepoint – to learn about medieval period

A ��Ƶ course is letting students get a real feel for medieval artifacts.

“Getting Medieval,” which will be taught for the second time this fall, tells the history of the period partly through objects, from heavy, inscribed broad-swords to gem-studded caskets holding the bone fragments of saints.

Instructors put some of these unique artifacts in students’ hands. On a visit to U of T’s Art Museum last year, the class was allowed to handle items in the gallery’s Malcove Collection, which includes more than 500 objects – paintings, furniture, icons, textiles and more – spanning prehistory to the 20^th century. The collection was donated to the university by Dr. Lillian Malcove, a psychoanalyst and art connoisseur.

Students learn more from holding these pieces of history than they ever could from examining them on paper or a screen, says Alexandra Bolintineanu, an assistant professor, teaching stream, of medieval digital studies. She taught the course with Suzanne Conklin Akbari, a professor in the department of English and director of the Centre for Medieval Studies.

“Often – especially in older books – the pictures aren’t as clear we might want,” Bolintineanu says. “When the students interact with these artifacts, they get a much better sense of scale.”

An object’s size, weight and even its smell can offer clues about how it was used centuries ago. On their last visit to the gallery, students detected a pungent animal smell on a Byzantine clay lamp, which suggested it was used by people of modest means who lived with livestock or used an animal-derived fuel, Bolintineanu says.

After observing an artifact up close, some students who had taken pottery or needlework classes were inspired to ask detailed questions about how it was made.

As part of the medieval course, students can choose to build a scholarly digital exhibit focusing on one artifact, drawing on conservation literature and comparing it to similar objects in other museums around the world.

The Malcove Collection, which has important artifacts spanning prehistory to the 20^th century, has been used for teaching ever since it was bequeathed to U of T (photo courtesy of Art Museum ��Ƶ)

“I watched the students catch fire as they handled the objects,” Bolintineanu says. She and the other instructors kept a poker face throughout the museum visit, but she admits they were nervous seeing the students holding ancient and often fragile artifacts – even if they took all the necessary precautions.

Heather Darling Pigat, collections manager at the Art Museum at the ��Ƶ, trained the students to handle each object carefully with gloves and gave them a tour of the gallery at University College.

Among the objects she put in the young medievalists' hands was a bronze oil lamp in the shape of a foot in a sandal, engraved with a cross and palm branch, which dates back to the fifth or sixth century.

Since the Malcove Collection came into the university's possession in 1981, it has been used for teaching in accordance with the donor's wishes, Pigat says. Professors in classics, theology, art history and Slavic languages and literature – to name a few – have used the collection in their courses.

“On a purely emotional level, when you have something in your hands that's 2,000 years old, it changes your understanding of that object,” she says.

U of T launches class on ancient Ethiopic language with a donation from The Weeknd

geoff.vendeville — Tue, 10 Jan 2017 15:14:44 +0000

U of T launches class on ancient Ethiopic language with a donation from The Weeknd

geoff.vendeville Tue, 01/10/2017 - 10:14

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Professor Michael Gervers (right) also donated $50,000 for the course. He sat in on the first class and got pointers from classmates Gelila Tilahun (centre) and her daughter Tseday Drudge, 16 (photos by Geoffrey Vendeville)

Geoffrey Vendeville

Author legacy

Geoffrey Vendeville

Topic

City & Culture

Faculty of Arts & Science

Language

Ethiopia

Global

Near and Middle Eastern Civilizations

Medieval Studies

Subheadline

The university is now one of the only places in the world where students can learn Ge’ez

Tens of thousands of ancient Ethiopic manuscripts – maybe more – have collected dust for over a century because they are written in what is now a rarely studied language, Ge’ez.

But a new course at the ��Ƶ is teaching a new generation of students to understand the ancient Semitic language so that one day they can access this long-lost trove of knowledge.

This week, Professor Robert Holmstedt of the department of Near and Middle Eastern civilizations welcomed 25 students and members of Toronto’s Ethiopian community to the first day of an introductory course on Ge’ez, which like Latin, is only used in religious services, in this case for the Ethiopian Orthodox and Catholic churches.

Hear CBC Metro Morning talk about the course on Ge'ez

Michael Gervers, a history professor at U of T Scarborough, helped launch the course with a $50,000 donation and a call to Toronto's Ethiopian community to contribute.

The call was answered and the donation matched by none other than Toronto native and Grammy-award winning artist Abel Tesfaye, a.k.a. The Weeknd.

Read about The Weeknd’s donation

The campaign for the language course has a $200,000 goal and has received support from the Faculty of Arts & Science and the Bikila Awards organization, a local Ethiopian community group named after Olympic marathoner Adebe Bikila.

On Monday, just as he had promised, Gervers sat in on the class, hoping to be one of the first to learn the language at U of T.

Although he has been studying ancient Ethiopia for 40 years – he has swung from ropes to explore rock-cut monasteries in Ethiopia and created a database of tens of thousands of photographs of Ethiopian art and culture – Gervers does not know the language.

Amharic-speaking students helped him with his pronunciation when he was asked to recite a letter of the alphabet.

Professor Michael Gervers has studied Ethiopian history and culture for four decades and helped start the Ge'ez course at U of T

The course's first students included members of the Ethiopian and Eritrean communities, students with an interest in Ethiopian culture, medievalists and students in comparative linguistics.

Before any of the students can uncover the secrets of ancient Ethiopic texts, they must learn the basics. In their first class, they were introduced to Ethiopic letters and to the present tense of verbs like “to sit.”

Hours of memorization come next. Holmstedt urged his students to carry a ringlet of flashcards so they can learn the alphabet on the go.

“Walk around campus memorizing words instead of looking at your phone,” Holmstedt said.

Gervers said he hoped the Ge’ez course would be the first of many classes that would form the basis of an Ethiopian studies program at U of T. He has proposed a graduate-level course in the history of Ethiopia.

“Ethiopia is usually left out of the curriculum because it’s so different,” he said. “There is no point of entry through European languages like English, French, Spanish or Italian.”

Earthquake in Italy: U of T expert on the extent of the damage to historical sites

ullahnor — Tue, 30 Aug 2016 18:00:53 +0000

Earthquake in Italy: U of T expert on the extent of the damage to historical sites

ullahnor Tue, 08/30/2016 - 14:00

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Nicholas Everett: "The images of the bell tower with the clock frozen at 3.36 am are haunting" (Photo by Manuel Romano/NurPhoto via Getty Images)

Noreen Ahmed-Ullah

Author legacy

Noreen Ahmed-Ullah

Topic

City & Culture

Faculty of Arts & Science

Last week’s 6.2-magnitude earthquake in central Italy has claimed more than 291 lives with the death toll still rising. As the country buries its dead and digs through the rubble, it is becoming clear that along with the loss of life, Italy has lost scores of cultural and historical sites. The country’s Minister of Culture has said at least 293 cultural heritage destinations were damaged and 50 have been completely destroyed. U of T Medieval History Professor Nicholas Everett, who is soon to publish a book titled Patron Saints of Early Medieval Italy, has been looking at photos of some of the damaged churches. He talked to U of T News about some of the damaged historical sites, noting that it still may be too early to tell exactly what has been lost.

In terms of monuments and historical buildings, what has been damaged or destroyed?

In Amatrice, there’s a number of 14th and 15th century churches, containing frescoes and mosaics. The historic churches include that of San Agostino, San Emigdio, San Francesco. These are all but destroyed now. The architecture of these churches and the artwork within were expressions of the aspirations of the town and its identity. Since churches were the focal point of a town's public life, religious art was also the major (and often only) source of patronage for artists and craftsmen of the Middle Ages. The region was the centre of conflict between Angevin and Aragonese rulers but as a result benefited from patronage of rulers attempting to consolidate or shore up their support in central southern Italy. These churches were also part of pilgrimage routes throughout southern Italy. Most were made from local sandstone.

Norcia is the birthplace of Saint Benedict (6th century), who is the founder of the Benedictine Order and monasticism in the West. The 12th century church on the site of Saint Benedict's home has been damaged, as are the 13th and 14th century frescoes in the church of Saint Agostino. The city’s medieval town walls are also damaged.

At L'Aquila, which also dealt with an earthquake in 2009, the Basilica di Santa Maria di Collemaggio has been damaged. The cathedral in Urbino was damaged, and in Camerino the monastery of Santa Chiara was damaged. In Macerata, the cathedral of San Giuliano was damaged, and in Rome the baths of Caracalla appear to be cracked.

The extent of the destruction is not quite clear. It’s coming to light now, and we’re realizing that this went much further than we thought.

Why is it difficult to determine the extent of the damage on historical sites?

Because the earthquake hit some of the more remote regions of Italy, which are not easy to reach, and therefore the information has not come out as quickly. I think they’re going to find a lot more has been destroyed. In a lot of these places, these monuments especially the churches and particularly the mosaics are going to be difficult to reconstruct, if not impossible. Amatrice is a complete tragedy: the images of the bell tower with the clock frozen at 3:36 am are haunting.

The other worry is that because these churches are located in regions that are economically far poorer than other parts of Italy. They don’t have as much infrastructure or as many resources locally to pour in, so they’re going to have to rely on federal help.

Why are these sites historically and culturally significant?

This part of Italy holds a great deal of cultural inheritance from the 11th to the 14th centuries. Some of Italy’s richest artistic endeavours are in these churches. It really is a period of magnificent church decoration. People would pour resources into a church decoration as much as we would a public monument, or infrastructure for the Commonwealth games. So in the Middle Ages, the church and its decoration was a point of pride for the community. And the importation of artists and their particular style was very important. The mosaics and paintings in these churches reflect the aspirations of a city and a sense of pride. Through these mosaics, the pictures and these frescoes, we can trace the history of art as it developed into the Renaissance and early modern period. The artists were mostly anonymous so we don’t know much about them, where they learned their technique or how they achieved their colours and designs, but their work is right in front of you. In that sense, these sites are living monuments. The churches themselves tell us a lot about the city, in some cases it’s the only thing that tells us what happened in that particular town in the 12th to 14th century. We rely on these living monuments to help us maintain the historical record.

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Earthquake in Italy: U of T expert on the extent of the damage to historical sites