Unlocking the Manuscripts of Medieval Toledo (Spain) DECIPHERING SECRETS

Transcription

1 Unlocking the Manuscripts of Medieval Toledo (Spain) DECIPHERING SECRETS LENGTH: EFFORT: SUBJECT: LEVEL: LANGUAGE: VIDEO TRANSCRIPTS: 5 weeks 2-3 hours per week History Introductory English English SYLLABUS 0

2 INTRODUCTION Deciphering Secrets: Unlocking the Manuscripts of Medieval Toledo (Spain) evaluates the medieval history of Toledo from the era of the Visigoth Kingdom (6 th -8 th centuries) through its Islamic period (8 th to 11 th centuries) and into its reintegration into Christian Spain (after 1085 c.e.) In particular, we take note of the cultural and religious transformations that characterized the city with a special effort to understand how many peoples and religions came to settle and live amongst one another. We will virtually-tour the Islamic and Christian structures of the Museo de Santa Cruz, Visigothic Iglesia de San Román, Sinagoga del Tránsito, Sinagoga Santa María La Blanca, Mezquita de Bab al-mardum, and Catedral Primada Santa María de Toledo. We examine the Visigoths transition from Christian Arianism to Catholicism and the harsh treatment of the Jewish population. We explore Islamic governance and development of the medieval city of three faiths, with a special interest in its cultural achievements. We will study King Alfonso The Wise ( ) s efforts to characterize himself as the king of three religions via his legal codices, the creation of the Cantigas de Santa María, and his intellectual endeavor known as the Toledo School of Translators. We evaluate the robust Jewish and converso noble families of the city and appreciate their intellectual, religious, and economic contributions to Castilian life. We will bear witness to the rise of anti-jewish blood purity statutes, the creation of the Inquisition, and the expulsion of the Jews. We also briefly introduce and study Spanish manuscripts from the municipal and cathedral archives to make new scholarly breakthroughs relating to the Jewish, Christian, and Muslim interrelations. No knowledge of Spanish is needed to participate in the course or in our transcription efforts. If this is your first course on edx, do not hesitate to enroll in the Demo course to get to know the courseware: OBJECTIVES After finishing Deciphering Secrets: Unlocking the Manuscripts of Medieval Toledo (Spain), the learner should: Garner knowledge and assess the history of medieval Spanish intercultural coexistence in the city of Toledo. Evaluate Visigothic, Islamic, and Christian kingdoms rule and treatment of other religious groups. Understand how the architecture and artifacts in the Museo de Santa Cruz, Museo Sefardí (Sinagoga del Tránsito), Iglesia de San Román, Sinagoga Santa María La Blanca, Iglesia del Cristo de la Luz (Mezquita de Bab al-mardum), and Catedral Primada Santa María de Toledo, speak to the history of the city. Appreciate the world of medieval manuscripts and texts held in the archives of the Cathedral of Toledo and the City of Toledo. Begin to learn the craft of medieval paleography, or reading authentic handwritten manuscripts 1

3 COURSE STAFF ROGER LOUIS MARTÍNEZ-DÁVILA is an Associate Professor of History at Universidad de Carlos III de Madrid (Spain) and the University of Colorado-Colorado Springs (USA). From Fall 2015 through Summer 2018, Dr. Martínez serves as a CONEX - Marie Curie Fellow at Universidad Carlos III de Madrid and is the content creator, instructional designer and responsible for communication with learners. He earned his Ph.D. in May 2008 from the University of Texas at Austin and has investigated in over 40 archives and libraries including the Archivio Segreto Vaticano (Vatican City), Real Academia de la Historia (Madrid), Archivo Historico Nacional (Madrid), Archivo Nacional de la Nacion (Mexico City), and Archivo y Biblioteca Nacionales de Bolivia (Sucre). He is a scholar of medieval and early modern Spain, religious minorities and religious converts in Spain (in particular, Sephardic Jews and conversos), and Spanish trans-atlantic migration to Mexico and Bolivia. Roger is the co-curator and co-editor of the 2016 museum exhibition and catalogue, Fractured Faiths: Spanish Judaism, The Inquisition, and New World Identities, which was shown at the New Mexico History Museum (Santa Fe, NM). His book, Creating Conversos: The Carvajal-Santa María Family in Early Modern Spain, will be published in early 2018 by the University of Notre Dame Press. At UC3M, Roger is advancing his project, Global Citizen Scholars: Energizing English and Spanish-Speaking Humanists to Advance Knowledge and Act (GCS EESSPHAÑA). GCS, a 36-month initiative, is a global educational, research, and social engineering endeavor. It thrusts UC3M into the forefront of (1) reclaiming humanity s deep-seated cultural curiosity; (2) mobilizing technology to energize English & Spanish-speaking students (Global Citizen Scholars) to learn about and contribute to scholarly research on medieval/early modern Jewish, Christian, and Muslim cooperation and conflict; and (3) developing a new cooperative education-research model for the 21st century. COURSE STRUCTURE WEEK 1: Course Introduction and an Abbreviated History of Medieval Toledo WEEK 2: Religious and Cultural Differences: Jews, Christians, and Muslims WEEK 3: Finding a Path Together: Jews, Christians, and Muslims WEEK 4: Medieval Manuscripts and Paleography WEEK 5: The Global Team at Work: Transcription & Interpretation Project 2

4 COURSE METHODOLOGY Every week follows the same methodology and structure. First, theoretical concepts are presented in videos and other audiovisual formats. After some readings related to the topic to deepen and broaden the concepts explained are offered. There will also be optional videos with interviews to experts. The learner assimilates the concepts by practicing with formative (non-graded) exercises, receiving immediate feedback. If you want to be evaluated in this course in order to get a certificate you have to do the graded activity provided at the end of each week. There will be quizzes about history and about paleographic skills, as well as a small collective transcription project. Each week, learners will be invited to participate in an optional community activity by responding to a Question of the Week through Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. The estimated time learners need to complete each week is from 2 to 3 hours. COMMUNICATION AND SOCIAL COMPONENT ING and the COURSE INFO PAGE will be used to keep learners up-to-date with all the news related to the course. In addition, learners are encouraged to actively interact with other learners and teachers through the course FORUM on edx and share their concerns, problems, and experiences. In addition, other SOCIAL TOOLS will be supported for learners to communicate with the teacher and peers: Facebook: o The official course group: Revealing Cooperation and Conflict Project's Deciphering Secrets Group o You can also add at Twitter: using the course hashtag #decipheringsecrets or tweet Instagram: using the hashtag #decipheringsecrets EVALUATION There will be three different ways of EVALUATION during the course: 3 History Quizzes, whose weight is 60% of the total grade. 3 Paleography Skill Quizzes, whose weight is 30% of the total grade. 1 Independent Paleography Project, whose weight is 10% of the total grade. To PASS THE COURSE it will be necessary to obtain the 60% of the final grade. It is possible to pass the course just doing the weekly tests and the projects, but it will be a much more enriching experience if you also do the formative (and therefore non graded) activities related to the videos. 3

5 CALENDAR The course Deciphering Secrets: Unlocking the Manuscripts of Medieval Toledo (Spain) starts on 26 September (00:00 UTC) and ends on 27 November (23:59 UTC). The weekly content will be posted on the courseware, together with the activities and additional material, on Tuesdays. The due date for all the weekly graded activities is 27 November (23:59 UTC). It is important to remember that the course schedule and timings always refer to UTC (Universal Time Coordinate) WEEK RELEASE DATES (00:00 UTC) 1 26 September October October October October 2017 CONTENTS Course Introduction and an Abbreviated History of Medieval Toledo History Quiz 1 (graded). Religious and Cultural Differences: Jews, Christians, and Muslims History Quiz 2 (graded). Finding a Path Together: Jews, Christians, and Muslims History Quiz 3 (graded). Medieval Manuscripts and Paleography Paleography Quiz 1 (graded). Paleography Quiz 2 (graded). Paleography Quiz 3 (graded). The Global Team at Work: Transcription & Interpretation Project Transcription Project (graded). The course Deciphering Secrets: Unlocking the Manuscripts of Medieval Toledo (Spain) will finish on 27 November Certificates will be issued after this date. 4