Conference

Les arts de l’autel médiéval De la genèse des objets aux stratégies muséographiques

CRH-EHESS/CNRS / Musée du Louvre

3-5 février 2025 / 3-5 February 2025

Paris, France

In recent years, the TEMPLA inter-university research team has undertaken a project that examines the memory of enduring and evolving cultic practices performed by both religious and lay communities in medieval churches. Drawing upon documentary sources and visual artifacts preserved either in situ or within museum collections, the project adopts a holistic approach to the study of sanctuaries associated with a selection of cathedral sites dating from the 9th to the 15th centuries. This research integrates an analysis of the material contexts of these sanctuaries with a detailed exploration of the artistic elements designed to embellish the altars and their medieval environments. These elements served to venerate and magnify the titular saints and the divine, while also identifying the patrons and creators of the works through heraldic and textual markers.

The study combines investigations into the materiality of architectural structures and visual artifacts with a phenomenological interpretation of the artworks, alongside a liturgical understanding of the specific rites and devotions practiced. Methodologically, the project considers the visual decor of these sacred spaces in relation to the social expectations tied to ritual celebrations. This colloquium has been organized to further develop this conceptual framework, positioning the high altar as the ritual, spiritual, material, and emotional nucleus of every church.

More information, including the schedule, are available at this link.