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Presentation
From September 7 to 11, 2026, the members of the "Pratiques médiévales de l'écrit - PraME" center will organize a summer school devoted to diplomacy. A fundamental science of history, diplomacy is the foundation of all research based on medieval and modern archival documentation. Properly mastered, this technical discipline should help historians to refine their source criticism, enabling them to better apprehend the typological diversity of the deeds at their disposal, to better understand the processes of elaboration and transmission of the documents they study, and to decipher their discourse and validation mechanisms. Diplomatics is more than just a critical tool, however: it sheds light on documentary practices and the context of written production, and thus on the history of institutions and societies in the past.
Primarily aimed at Master's students and doctoral candidates, this course is designed to help participants progressively assimilate the fundamentals of diplomatic science. To this end, it will combine lectures by members of the team, meetings and exchanges with internationally recognized specialists in the field, and practical exercises on unpublished documentary corpuses held at the State Archives in Namur.
The course will take place exclusively at the University of Namur and the Namur State Archives. Places are limited to a maximum of 15. No registration fee is required. Accommodation in Namur will be provided by the organizers for candidates wishing to attend, as will lunches. A minimum command of medieval Western paleography and at least a passive understanding of French are expected.
Deadline for applications: May 15, 2026
