Fornicating with nuns in fifteenth-century Bologna
In September 1432 Giovanni di Giacomo Amicini, a Bolognese spicer (aromatarius), was prosecuted for abducting a professed sister, Antonia di Baldino da Logliano, from the Convent of the Poor Clares outside the city-gate on the via Santo Stefano.
Serbian scientific institutions and medieval research
Since the beginning of critical historiography, Serbian researchers and historians have dealt with the medieval history of Serbia, Serbian lands, and of its neighboring countries,
“Stand by your man”: Caterina Lupi, wife of Bonifacio. Artistic patronage beyond the deathbed in late medieval Padua
The chance discovery of a document, some years ago led to the conclusion that the initial foundation of the chapel of St. James in Padua was a more complex affair. In this essay, I wish to turn to the most neglected collaborator until now, Caterina di Staggia, wife of Bonifacio.
Islamic Spaces and Diplomacy in Constantinople (Tenth to Thirteenth Centuries C.E.)
This article focuses on the built spaces, often described as mosques, of two Muslim communities in Constantinople between the tenth and thirteenth centuries.
Diplomacy and oriental influence in the court of Cordoba (9th-10th centuries)
This dissertation aims to study the diplomatic relations that Cordoba, as the capital of al-Andalus, kept with the Byzantine, Christian Iberian and Western European courts.
Rabbits and the Specious Origins of Domestication
Rabbits are commonly thought to have been domesticated in c. AD600 by French monks. Using historical and archaeological records, and genetic methods, we demonstrate that this is a misconception.
Monastic Reform and the Geography of Christendom: Experience, Observation and Influence
Historians have suggested that tropes about the desert, solitude, etc., drawn from early texts found their way into mainstream accounts of monastic change in the period c. 1080–1150; this paper challenges this model.
Historical European Martial Art: a crossroad between academic research, martial heritage re-creation and martial sport practices
This paper will propose and discuss, ideas on how to bridge the gap between enthusiasts and scholars; since their embodied knowledge, acquired by practice, is of tremendous value for scientific inquiries and scientific experimentation.
A Grand Gesture: Henry VIII and the Westminster Tournament
In February, 1511, Henry VIII held a large and lavish tournament at Westminster to honour his wife, Katherine of Aragon, and his newborn son. Natalie Anderson takes a look at this romantic gesture and how it was memorialised.
The Four Portraits of Het‘um II: New Observations Regarding the Royal Portrait of the Lectionary of 1286
The subject of this paper is one of the most mysterious characters in the history of the Armenian kingdom of Cilicia – King Het’um II – and his four surviving portraits.
The Ideological Power of Some Almohad Illuminated Manuscripts
From the mid-12th century, the production of lavishly illuminated copies of certain texts acquired a special ideological meaning in the Maghrib, due to the rise of the Almohads.
Evoking Tales in a Medieval Ceiling: Sulayman’s / Solomon’s Birds in the Capella Palatina of Palermo
A great multitude of birds populate the painted ceilings sheltering the palatine chapel of Palermo, constructed for King Roger of Sicily; these birds appear to shelter and rest in the great ceiling. As ceilings were often made to represent the sky, thee pictorial associations of birds and ceilings is only logical.
The Road to China: Seaborne Exploration in Medieval Islam
This lecture explores how sea and mainland trade with China was one of the most important aspects of the flourishing of Islam in the Middle Ages.
Delapré Abbey opens its doors to reveal 900 years of history
After an extensive programme of National Lottery funded restoration, Delapré Abbey in Northamptonshire is set to open to the public from March 17th 2018.
Historical and Technical Notes on Aqueducts from Prehistoric to Medieval Times
The aim of this paper is to present the evolution of aqueduct technologies through the millennia, from prehistoric to medieval times.
Erosive and Mechanical Tooth Wear in Viking Age Icelanders
The importance of the Icelandic Sagas as a source of information about diet habits in medieval Iceland, and possibly other Nordic countries, is obvious.
The Challenge of Folklore to Medieval Studies
When folklore began to emerge as a valid expression of a people during the early stages of national romanticism, it did so alongside texts and artifacts from the Middle Ages; it was only as folklore began to develop its own methodology during the nineteenth century that the fields were distinguished.
Aurality as Methexis and the Rise of Castilian Literature: The Case of the Siete Partidas
In order to articulate a theory of literary cultural production based on auditory perception, participation needs to be analyzed in the context of Platonic methexis.
Reframing the Mongols in 1260: The Armenians, the Mongols and the Magi
While subjection to the Mongol yoke was far from desirable, rulers could seek to make the best of the situation, in the hope that the ambitions of the Mongols might come to match their own, or that the Mongols might be persuaded to support their cause.
Historiography of Falkirk (1298) as the Predecessor to Infantry Dominance
For more than a century, historians have identified the Battle of Falkirk (1298) as a turning point in infantry tactics, not only for the Scots but also for warfare in the Western World.
Collapse of the Hunnic Empire: Jordanes, Ardaric and the Battle of Nedao
This thesis examines the evidence surrounding the Battle of Nedao, an engagement between Ardaric, leader of the Gepids and other rebelling tribes, and Ellac, the eldest son of Attila.
The Novice-master in the Cistercian Order
Information relating to the novice master has to be rather sought in the customs, constitutions and in similar texts. Their explanations and regulations come closer to the practices of the respective community than can be expected from rules.
Walking in Sixteenth-Century Venice: Mobilizing the Early Modern City
By studying physical motion, we can capture the dynamism of early modern cities and, drawing on all the rich meanings of the Italian verb movimentare, move, mobilize, invigorate, and enliven the history of early modern urban society and culture.
Soldiers, Villagers and Politics: Military Violence and the Jacquerie of 1358
The Jacquerie of 1358 remains a hotly contested incident, but the importance of soldiers as a cause of the revolt is one of the few things on which scholars agree.
The Women around an Emperor: Eleanor of Portugal
In the fourth in a series of features exploring the early modern women whose lives intersected in some way with that of Holy Roman Emperor Maximilian I, Natalie Anderson examines the life of Eleanor of Portugal.