International Relations and Supranational Institutions

FRANCESCO VITALI

1. Knowledge and understanding: knowledge of the fundamentals of modern
Mediterranean political history; the ability to understand the main themes of the
discipline.
2. Ability to apply knowledge and understanding: ability to apply the knowledge acquired
in the field of modern Mediterranean history to analyse and resolve more specific issues.
3. Independent judgement: ability to critically interpret data and issues relating to the
subject of study and to reflect on the main themes, forming independent judgements on
them. 4. Communication skills: ability to communicate effectively, using appropriate
language. Information and issues related to the history of the Mediterranean in the
modern age to different audiences, including both specialists and non-specialists.
5. Learning skills: the acquisition of the main basic tools and the
ability to use them effectively, so as to be able to undertake further studies independently in
the field of modern history.

no prerequisite

Starting from a methodological premise concerning the models and narratives of Mediterranean history, the course will examine the political and diplomatic centrality of
the Mediterranean in the modern age (from the XVth to the XIXth centuries), following the fragmentation of the unity guaranteed by the Roman concept of ‘Mare Nostrum’, the rise of Islam, and the fall of Constantinople to the Ottomans in 1453. On the one hand, the Mediterranean will be analysed as a place of encounter, mediation and conflict between ‘modern’ political actors and empires, as well as between religious identities and cultures, with particular attention to the role played by the Papacy and other Italian states, the conflict between the Habsburgs (Spain and the Holy Roman Empire) and the Ottomans, and French strategies. On the other hand, considerable attention will be devoted to the powers and presence of key actors within the material landscape of the Mediterranean, often linked to public authorities and/or in their service, such as merchants, privateers and other prominent figures. It was precisely these figures who were the protagonists of a history of the Mediterranean that was no less complex at a political and material level, albeit ‘apparently’ more static, in the phase that followed the Battle of Lepanto in 1571.
In this context, attention will also be paid to the deep-rooted connections that linked Mediterranean political and economic dynamics in the 17th and 18th centuries with the development of the Atlantic world, the ‘global’ expansion of European powers such as the Netherlands and England, and the rise of Tsarist Russia at the expense of the Ottoman Empire in the Mediterranean. Even within this ‘global’ perspective, the Mediterranean confirmed his centrality in the struggle waged by Bourbon France and and then from Napoleon against England, up to the Congress of Vienna (1815).

Il materiale di studio per l'esame sarà fornito in forma di dispense e di materiali distirbuiti, visionati e discussi (interviste, testi, fonti, ecc.) durante le lezioni e reso
fruibile nella apposita classroom del corso. The study materials for the exam will be provided in the form of lecture notes and handouts, as well as materials viewed and discussed (interviews, texts, sources, etc.) during the lessons, and will be made available in the course’s dedicated online classroom.

This teaching uses the following methodologies: - Lessons with wide contents, with a final discussion on the central topics of the lesson. - Lectures based on texts (slides, images, etc.), with their analysis and the discussion by the whole class. - Specific materials on the topics covered in class will be available in a virtual classroom.
The use of these platform will also provide the possibility of a participative and shared pathway of knowledge by promoting active interaction between lecturer and students on issues, topics and themes of the course.

Attendance is optional, but recommended

The final oral examination consists of questions (at least three) based on the content found in the prescribed books and the teaching material made available. The test lasts as long as necessary to check both the degree of understanding of the content ad the ability to express it adequately. The final assessment, expressed in thirtieths, with a record of the grade, will take place for all students, whether attending or not, by means of an oral examination. This examination, lasting approximately thirty minutes, aims to assess comprehension of the questions posed and the ability to elaborate a series of articulate and coherent answers through the use of appropriate vocabulary. Attending students will have the opportunity to progressively self-assess their learning through classroom follow-up questions, guided discussions and a mid-term assessment.

The questions will focus on the history of the Mediterranean as a region of hegemony, a setting for encounters and conflicts between international actors, civilisations, and
religious and cultural identities, and a place where economic, religious and cultural dynamics unfolded (from the 15th to the 19th century).

• The first part of the course, comprising 15 hours, will focus on the transition of the Mediterranean from the Greco-Roman world to the fall of Constantinople, with particular attention to the rise of the Ottoman Empire, the dynamics of European powers, national monarchies, the Italian states and the Papacy, and the origins of early modern diplomacy.
  • Books: Textbook. Students attending the lessons will be provided with supplementary materials consisting of sources and accounts from key figures in the new Mediterranean and global diplomacy, presented in the form of detailed slides.


• The second part of the course, totalling 15 hours, will be devoted to exploring the Mediterranean as the epicentre of the conflict between the Habsburg powers, France and the Ottoman Empire during the 16th and 17th centuries. At the same time, the central role of piracy within this context will be examined in depth.
  • Books: Textbook. Students attending the lessons will be provided with supplementary materials consisting of sources and accounts from key figures involved in the diplomatic dynamics and conflicts between state powers and de facto powers – such as those represented by pirates – as well as detailed slides.


• The third part of the course, amounting to a total of 15 hours, will focus primarily on political and commercial dynamics in the Mediterranean between the 17th and 18th centuries, in relation to the emergence of new Dutch and English political and economic actors and the new Atlantic focus. Secondly, the course will examine the conflict between Bourbon and later Napoleonic France and England, leading up to the Mediterranean and ‘global’ order established by the Congress of Vienna. At the same time, the decline of the Ottoman Empire and the new central role of Tsarist Russia in the Mediterranean will be examined.
  • Books: Textbook. Students attending the lessons will be provided with supplementary materials consisting of sources and accounts from key figures involved in the political and diplomatic conflict in the Mediterranean and the Atlantic between Bourbon France – and later Napoleonic France – and England, as well as on the decline of the Ottoman Empire and the emergence of Tsarist Russia as a key player in the Mediterranean.


•  The fourth 18-hour module will be devoted to presentations given by the students to explore specific aspects and topics already covered in the first three modules of the course, and to revisit and revise the themes and issues addressed during the previous 45 hours.
  • Books: In preparation for the presentation, students will agree on specific materials with the professor. Additional resources and detailed slides will be made available to those attending the lessons to revisit the most relevant topics and issues already covered in previous modules.