Natural Light in Medieval Churches
A new book explores how the study of sunlight inside Christian churches can help reveal essential aspects of the design, decoration, and function of medieval sacred spaces.
Early Icons of Kyivan Rus’
A look at some of the beautiful icons created in Kyivan Rus.
A Key Monument of Medieval Rus’: The Cathedral of Saint Sophia in Kyiv
The people of Ukraine and the local cultural heritage of medieval Rus’ are in the crossfires of Russia’s ongoing attacks. What the world is witnessing is tragic, and the consequences to human life and to the medieval monuments that still stand in the historic cities of Ukraine, are irrecuperable.
The Eclectic Visual Cultures of Medieval Eastern Europe
By Maria Alessia Rossi and Alice Isabella Sullivan In 2018, we set on a quest to explore the rich medieval heritage of Eastern…
King Milutin of Serbia: A Medieval Patron of the Arts
2021 marks 700 years since the death of Serbia’s King Stefan Uroš II Milutin (r. 1282–1321).
Remembering a Wallachian Ruler: Neagoe Basarab
2021 marks 500 years since the death of Prince Neagoe Basarab who ruled the principality of Wallachia (now part of modern Romania) between 1512 and 1521.
Armenian Art and Contested Lands
The virtual exhibition Ancient Faith: The Churches of Nagorno-Karabakh brings to the attention of international audiences the Armenian historic sites and cultural legacy of the contested region of Artsakh, known internationally as Nagorno-Karabakh.
The Power of Sunlight in Medieval Churches
Medieval churches have harnessed the power of sunlight to define and accentuate sacred spaces, as well as indicate holiness
St. Basil’s Cathedral: Medieval Russia’s Iconic Building
By Alice Isabella Sullivan Situated in the heart of Moscow’s historic Red Square, St. Basil’s Cathedral is perhaps one of the most iconic…
The Protector of Mount Athos
The Moldavian rulers, and in particular Prince Stephen III (r. 1457–1504), took an increasingly active interest in the monastic communities on the Holy Mountain.
How the Mount Athos monasteries prospered for centuries
Mount Athos—the peninsula in Greece that is home to one of the oldest Eastern Christian monastic communities—has received support from an array of patrons over the course of its long history
Medieval Fortifications in the Balkans
Throughout the Middle Ages, the regions of the Balkan Peninsula were caught at the crossroads of competing worldviews and defensive architecture became an important mechanism through which to ensure the protection of secular and religious sites.
Christmas Traditions in the Hidden Corners of Europe
Celebrating the Christmas season in the Carpathian Mountains
New Digital Resource: Mapping Eastern Europe
One of the challenges of historians of the Middle Ages is to learn what research is being done across Eastern Europe. We have set up a new digital resource to help scholars connect with each other and their projects, and students and the wider public learn about current research.
Vlad III Țepeș: The man who inspired Dracula
The story of Vlad III Tepes – the prince himself, his brutal reign, and the historical context in which he lived.
Byzantium in Eastern Europe
Alice Isabella Sullivan and Maria Alessia Rossi preview their new book Byzantium in Eastern European Visual Culture in the Late Middle Ages
Dreaming of Constantinople after the Failed Ottoman Siege of Vienna
The failure of the Ottoman campaign against Vienna in 1529 had further consequences beyond the center of the conflict. This event seems to have given new hope to traumatized Christian rulers and their subjects that perhaps the Ottoman armies could be halted from their steady advances into Europe.
Hagia Sophia: Past, Present, Future
Hagia Sophia has had a rich and turbulent history, changing hands between Christians and Muslims and having its doors open to all as a secular building from 1935 to 2020.
The Ottomans in Medieval Eastern Europe
How the Ottomans expanded into medieval Eastern Europe – an overview from the 14th century to the 16th century.