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Module .......

At the end of the course, students are expected to demonstrate that they have acquired a solid understanding of the evolution of supplications and petitions as instruments of governance and communication with authority between the early modern and contemporary periods; that they are able to use the knowledge gained to read and critically interpret primary sources related to the subject of the course; and that they possess the skills necessary to present their knowledge in a competent, structured, and well-argued manner.

The module combines a series of lectures on the history of institutions in general and on the practice of supplication in particular, with a part devoted to the reading and discussion of archival sources provided by the professor, involving the active participation of students.

A basic knowledge of the main concepts of modern and contemporary history is required.

Optional but strongly recommended.

The course sets out, starting from a general overview of the history of governing institutions, to frame the ways in which petitions, supplications, and letters to those in power made it possible, throughout the modern and contemporary periods, to establish a channel of communication and negotiation between the highest levels of authority and the base of the social pyramid. By employing and testing the hermeneutic value of the concept of governmentality first formulated by Michel Foucault, and by working with archival sources drawn from the Roman collection of the Segreteria particolare del duce, the course seeks to highlight the political stakes of this long-lasting means of mediation between rulers and the ruled, institutions and private citizens.

The final oral examination will consist of a general assessment of the student’s knowledge acquisition and ability to make connections, as well as a component in which the student will present and interpret an archival source of their choice from the materials provided by the professor.