Pilgrimage Art and Architecture in the Middle Ages

From Santiago de Compostela to Jerusalem, the movement of religious pilgrims in the Middle Ages resulted in a rich variety of architectural spaces and material culture. The growth of the cult of relics, and the pilgrims that visited them, fueled the development of the urban landscape and religious practices across the medieval world. This course explores the roots and routes of pilgrimage, focusing on the sacred relics that attracted them and the development of architectural spaces they visited. We will examine not only the art and architectural traditions related to pilgrimage in western Europe but the deep connections and exchange of art and architecture in Byzantine, Jewish and Islamic traditions. (a)