The program of the course consists of two parts. In the first part, we will tackle the diachronic development of the artistic production in the Byzantine empire between the 4th and the 15th centuries, with a focus on its capital, Constantinople, and its sphere of influence. We will analyze – also with the help of the written sources – the most representative monuments, as well as artworks in different techniques: sculpture and architectural decoration, icon painting, illuminated manuscripts, and jewelry. The students will be able to highlight the relationships between Byzantine art and Western Europe; they will also reach an awareness of the most relevant scholarly literature on the subject.
The second part of the course will have a workshop-based approach: some Byzantine artifacts will be examined, which are preserved in Italian museums, and a brief individual research on those will follow. Each student will produce a short catalogue entry on a chosen artifact.

1) M. della Valle, Costantinopoli e il suo impero. Arte, architettura, urbanistica nel millennio bizantino, Milano, Jaca Book, 2007.
2) C. Mango, Architettura bizantina, Milano, Electa, 1978 (or later editions), pp. 5-165.
3) E. Concina, Le arti di Bisanzio, Milano, Bruno Mondadori, 2002 (selected chapters).

In addition to the above-mentioned texts, student who cannot attend the course must read one of the following books:

1) E. Kitzinger, Alle origini dell’arte bizantina. Correnti stilistiche nel mondo mediterraneo dal III al VII secolo, a cura di M. Andaloro e P. Cesaretti, Milano, Jaca Book, 2004.
2) O. Demus, L’arte bizantina e l’Occidente, Torino, Einaudi, 2008.