Call for Papers: The Spatial Turn in Medieval Studies

Space offers a valuable lens through which to rethink the practices in which religious rituals, material objects and written narratives, such as hagiography and historiography, were embedded. Scholars working within the spatial turn have emphasized that the location and physical spatial contexts of events are inseparable from the way in which they unfolded and the outcomes they produced. Space, both physically and socially constructed, plays a critical role in shaping human experiences, alongside other historical and social factors. This session explores how spatial configurations impacted medieval ways of knowing, by examining how space was conceptualized, structured, and transformed. In doing so, it aims to shed light on the ways in which spatial experience shaped the perceptions and actions of those who occupied it.

Potential topics include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Digital reconstruction of medieval objects in their historical space
• Performative actions within the context of their space in which they were performed
• Medieval liturgy and its spatial dimensions and signs for meaning-making
• Space and locations and its influence on medieval audiences
• Descriptions of the use of space in medieval written narrative sources
• Spatial dimensions in medieval manuscripts and its effect on its reader
• Depictions of space in medieval visual images and artworks
• The influence of space and location on the practices surrounding material (ritual) objects

If you are interested in joining these sessions, please send an abstract of max. 250 words, a short bio with affiliation details (institution, department, email address) and an indication if you are joining online or in-person, to Anne Sieberichs (Utrecht University) a.p.sieberichs@uu.nl and Imke Vet (Yale University) imke.vet@yale.edu.
Deadline: 19 September 2025