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Barcelona

Hispanic Studies - Year 1 2008/09
General History of Spain: Ancient & Medieval

40
Language Level: Intermediate / Advanced
Placement Exam Required
General History of Spain: Ancient & Medieval
Language of Instruction: Spanish
Course taken with: International Students
University of Barcelona (Barcelona, Spain)

Course Description

Area of Study

Culture

Hours & Credits

40

Hours of Instruction

2

Semester Credit Units

4

Quarter Credit Units

Prerequisites and Language Level

Note: A placement exam will be required when you arrive on site.

Intermediate
This course is designed for students who have completed or tested out of a minimum of two semesters (or three quarters) of college-level Spanish. However, students must take a placement exam to determine the course level into which they will be able to enroll.
Advanced
This course is designed for students who have completed or tested out of a minimum of four semesters (or six quarters) of college-level Spanish. However, students must take a placement exam to determine the course level into which they will be able to enroll.

Overview

FALL STUDENTS WILL HAVE THE FOLLOWING COURSE DESCRIPTION:

Objective

The course will travel through the Prehistoric era of the Iberic Peninsula to the Roman-Visigoth Spain. The students will have an opportunity to study the historical periods that we know by the name of Prehistoric and Ancient Age. They will get a series of visits to historic Barcelona with the objective of coming to know the roman and visigoth city.

Program

The Prehistoric: Paleolithic and Neolithic
The entrance to the history: the colonization and the route of the metals, fenicians and greeks, Tartesans, the cartheginian imperialism, and the consequences of the colonization.
The pre-roman cities: social organization, economical stucture
The conquer and romanticism of the Iberc Peninsula
The roman empire crisis: the germ invasion
The Visigoth Spain. The Kind of Toledo: political institutions, rights, society, economy and culture.
Visigoth Kingdom Crisis: the Islam erruption.

WINTER STUDENTS WILL HAVE THE FOLLOWING COURSE DESCRIPTION:

Objective

The student will begin learning of the Muslim Spain and the Christian Spain, analyzing the most important historic phenomenon’s that have taken place since the arrival of the Islam (beginning of the VIII century) until the Medieval epoch (XIV-XV centuries). During this span of time Spain will be the stage of coexistence of the two cultures, two societies and two economies coming face to faceâ€"Christian and Muslimâ€"that differentiate the Medieval History of the Iberic Peninsula from other contemporary European formations. A series of visits to the Historic Barcelona with the objective of learning the medieval city will be actualized.

Program

The Muslim Spain (al-Andalus): The emirate (711-929), the reign of Córdoba (929-1031), the reigns of the Taifas (1031-1086), the Beréberes dynasty (1086-1212), Society, economy and urban life.
The Christian Spain: The first nucleus of resistance: The Asturleon reign, Castilla, The Pamplona reign, Aragón, the catalan counties.
The big expansion (XI-XIII centuries): The Empire of Castillanoleones. The expansion and formation of the Crown of Aragón. The reign of Navarra. Portugal, the peninsular reign.
The ruler Nazarí from Granada.
The Peninsular equilibrator: Castilla and the Crown of Aragón
The Dynastic Unity: The Catholic Royalty