Esplorare gli archivi: una esperienza didattica interattiva

This article reflects on the educational value of archival research, drawing on a teaching project at the University of Bologna involving five unpublished women’s wills (1269–1313). Through transcription, document analysis and discussion between groups, the course assessment becomes a collaborative, guided process of constructing historical knowledge. Attention to notarial and archival mediation, the distinction between evidence and hypotheses, and the limits of the sources encourages a critical approach to women’s and gender history. Publication of the findings completes the process, introducing students to the responsibilities of communicating history.