Newberry Adult Education Seminars will meet virtually via Zoom. For more information about the Newberry’s virtual seminars, including a Zoom tutorial, please see our Virtual Seminars FAQ page. If you have questions about online learning, please reach out to seminars@newberry.org.
Seminar Description
This seminar will explore the social and cultural implications of the plague of 1348 in Italy, also known as the Black Death, using written sources and material culture. Was the plague a pivotal event in Western history, as some historians have argued? What did life look like for the average person in the wake of the plague, and how did individuals and communities respond and rebuild in the subsequent decades? Through lectures, discussions, primary sources, art, architecture, and virtual “field trips,” immerse yourself in the sights and sounds of Italy after the plague.
Six sessions. Registration – $210
Julia Miglets-Nelson holds a PhD in history from Northwestern University. She studies religion, gender, and material culture in late medieval Italy and is especially interested in medieval saints who were noted for their “holy mediocrity.”
Materials List
Required:
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A selection of shorter materials distributed by the instructor.
First Reading:
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For the first session, please listen to the May 12, 2020 episode of The Global History Podcast, “Monica H. Green on the Black Death and the Global History of Disease.” As an alternative or optional additional reading, interested participants can read Monica H. Green’s “Editor’s Introduction to Pandemic Disease in the Medieval World: Rethinking the Black Death” in The Medieval Globe.
Registration Information
Registration opens at 9 am (CST) on Wednesday, May 19th. Newberry Associates members at the Literati level and above will have access to early registration beginning May 12th at 10am. Learn more about membership benefits and becoming a Newberry Associate.
Please note: For more information about registration, including a guide to online registration, see our Registration Information page. Questions? Please contact seminars program staff via email at seminars@newberry.org.
We offer a 10% discount to members, seniors, and students.
This seminar is part of the Newberry’s Adult Education Seminars Program. Learn more about registering for a seminar, program policies, or teaching a seminar.