Special Issue "Byzantium and the Mediterranean (11th–13th C.): Multiculturalism, Gender and Profane Topics in Illuminated Manuscripts"

Byzantine illuminated manuscripts constitute a fascinating field of study to be explored in terms of cross-cultural exchanges, gender issues and the spreading of profane topics. This phenomenon was especially rich in the turmoil of 12th and 13th century art in the Mediterranean as a privileged space for interchanging between Latins, Greeks and Muslims. The prestige of Constantinople, the continuity of deep-rooted Byzantine artistic traditions in most of the areas of the Mediterranean (Sicily, Venice, Cyprus, Crusader States, etc), and the increasing mobility of artists, models, and codices fostered these kinds of artistic encounters.

Some of the Byzantine codices from this period—chronicles, manuals of poliorcetics, cynegetic treatise or even biblical and ecclesiastical manuscripts—provide us precious information related to customs, ceremonies, warfare techniques, buildings, clothing, social strata and ethnic and cultural diversity.

We invite articles concerning these topics, especially those regarding gender roles, the depiction of Otherness, the use and meaning of profane repertoires in manuscripts and their spreading and impact on other visual arts. 

Proposals for papers of up to max 15.000 words in length should be sent to the guest editors, Manuel Castiñeiras, on  This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. , and Carles Sánchez Márquez, on  This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. , by 31 October, 2022. Papers should be in English.

Guest Editors: Prof. Dr. Manuel Castiñeiras, Prof. Dr. Carles Sánchez Márquez

For further information:

https://www.mdpi.com/journal/arts/special_issues/Byzantium_Mediterranean

I International Seminar MABILUS, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Facultat de Filosofia i Lletres, 11 th November 2022

Coor. Manuel Castiñeiras (UAB), Carles Sánchez Márquez (UAB), Giulia Arcidiacono (Università di Catania)

Byzantine illuminated manuscripts constitute a fascinating field of study to be explored in terms of cross- cultural exchanges, gender issues and the spreading of profane topics. This phenomenon was especially rich in the turmoil of 12th-and-13th century art in the Mediterranean as a privileged space for interchanging between Latins, Greeks and Muslims.

The prestige of Constantinople, the continuity of deep-rooted Byzantine artistic traditions in most of the areas of the Mediterranean (Sicily, Venice, Cyprus, Crusader States, etc), and the increasing mobility of artists, models, and codices fostered these kinds of artistic encounters. Some of the Byzantine codices from this period—chronicles, manuals of poliorcetics, cynegetic treatises or even biblical and liturgical manuscripts— provide us precious information related to customs, ceremonies, warfare techniques, buildings, clothing, social strata and ethnic and cultural diversity.

This First International Seminar MABILUS is focused on the study of these topics, especially those especially those regarding gender roles, the depiction of Otherness, the use and meaning of profane repertoires in manuscripts and their spreading and impact on other visual arts.

We invite you to submit a paper proposal (including a 120-word abstract) to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. , by Monday, July 4, 2002. Proposals in Spanish, Catalan, Italian, English and French are welcomed.

Organized by: Manuscritos bizantinos iluminados en España: obra, contexto y materialidad – MABILUS (MICINN-PID2020-120067GB-I00).

Call for papers CAT, CAST, ENG: PDF

Carles Sánchez, researcher of the research group "Magistri Cataloniae", publishes Una tragèdia pintada. Les pintures de Santa Maria de Terrassa i la difusió del culte a la península Ibèrica. The book is the result of the research that began in 2014 in the framework of the research project of UAB Artistas, patronos y público: Cataluña y el Mediterráneo (siglos XI - XV) - MAGISTRI CATALONIAE (MICINN HAR2011-23015). It is a systematic study of the agents that were part of the realization of the work, especially the combined action of the comitent and the artist.

Available the link to buy the book: https://anemeditors.com/producte/una-tragedia-pintada/

 Next 28 February 2020 will be held the IV Colloque International Magistri Cataloniae:

 Terra Santa a Occident: objectes, imatges i relíquies.

  Date and place: 28 February 2020. Sala de Graus, Facultat de Filosofia i Lletres, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB).

 Link to the Program

Next 16 November 2018 will be held the III Colloque International Magistri Cataloniae with a session entitled: Un nou cicle de pintura mural: Saint-Pierre d'Ourjout (Couserans) en el context del romànic pirinenc. This colloque has been organized and coordinated by Magistri Cataloniae (SGR 2017 - 231).

Date and place: 16 November 2018. Sala de Graus, Facultat de Filosofia i Lletres, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona.

Link to the Program 

Next Friday 25 November 2016, Prof. Ludovico Geymonat, from the University of Notre-Dame, will give a lecture entitled: "A Sculpted Nativity Cycle for San Marco, Venice".

Place and time: UAB, Facultat de Lletres, Aula 602, 10.00-13.00.

Link to the poster.

Next Friday 4 November 2016, the researcher Lorenzo Carletti (Opera della Primaziale Pisana) will give a lecture entitled: "La piazza del Duomo di Pisa tra storia, restauro e immaginario collettivo" at the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona.

Date and time: Aula 602, Facultat Filosofia i Lletres, UAB, 10'00-13'00 h.

Link to the Poster.

Next 20-21 October will be held the 3^d International Seminar on Art History, Images and Liturgy in the Middle Ages, which has been organized by the Instituto de Estudos Medievais - FCSH-UNL, the Secretariado Nacional para os Bens Culturais da Igreja and the Museu Nacional de Arte Antiga, with the collaboration of the research project Magistri Mediterranei. The researchers of the project Magistri Mediterranei Manuel Castiñeiras, Carla Varela, Athanasios Semoglou and Jordi Camps will participate in the seminar.

Date and Place: 20-21 October 2016, Museo Nacional de Arte Antiga, Lisbon.

Verónica Abenza, researcher of the research project Magistri Mediterranei and member of the Research Group MAGISTRI CATALONIAE from the UAB, will give a talk entitled "Bajo el signo de María: las iniciativas artísticas de las reinas de Aragón y Navarra (XI-XII)", within the IV Jornadas Culturales sobre Arte Románico Majones 2016, organized by the association www.amigosdemajones.weebly.com

Date and Place: Saturday 6 August 2016, 17.00. Iglesia parroquial del Salvador (Majones-Aragón).