Holy Ground: Art and Pilgrimage in Medieval and Renaissance Italy

ARH 331J
(VAPA, GC flag)

Why did people travel in the Middle Ages and Renaissance Italy? How were these journeys reflected in art and architecture, whether as portable objects (small altarpieces), illustrated books and manuscripts, narratives of journeys, pilgrimage churches (such as San Domenico and the Ospedale of Santa Maria della Scala in Siena), or large-scale paintings of experienced or spiritual travel, such as Ambrogio Lorenzetti’s Good Government frescoes in Siena? And how different was the medieval pilgrim, collecting her religious tokens along a pilgrimage route, from today’s cultural “pilgrim”, who might collect T-shirts, post-cards, or even countries themselves? Italy has long been a destination for travelers of every ilk: foreign merchants, religious pilgrims, travelers in seek of adventure, and cultural enthusiasts. In the Middle Ages and Renaissance, the economies of Siena, Florence, and Rome were greatly enriched by both religious pilgrims and lay travelers, resulting in the spectacular development of art and architecture that we know today. In this course, we will explore the notion of pilgrimage in the art and architecture of central Italy, through reading, discussion, site visits, presentations, and post-field trip analyses. While we will study and visit the great, canonical works of central Italy, we will also explore smaller and more personal elements of material culture, including relics, small paintings, and modest churches and hospitals. Throughout, we will use the issue of travel and pilgrimage as a prism with which we can focus our explorations.