Memorialising the Middle Ages: Public Monuments and Modern Appropriations of the Medieval Past, session at 27th International Medieval Congress, University of Leeds, July 6–9, 2020

The gold-like statue of Joan of Arc is one of the most well-known landmarks in Paris. Edward the Black Prince greets medievalists each year after they step out of Leeds' railway station. Such sights are by no means unfamiliar; in urban spaces around the world, medieval figures stand proudly in bronze and stone, yielding stark evidence of strong interest in the Middle Ages. But who commissioned and created them? What purpose were they intended to serve? And what do they tell us about the medieval past?

The aim of this strand of sessions will be to explore the variety of ways in which events, figures and traditions from the Middle Ages - broadly defined as spanning the era between c. 500 and c. 1500 - have been used, invoked and appropriated in monumental form by states and communities since c.1800. These sessions will speak to current debates in medievalism, and engage with live discussions in memory studies and on material culture. Proposals relating to monumental cultures around the world are warmly welcomed.

Potential topics include:

• Public statues and memorials as 'sites of memory' channeling the medieval past
• The use of medieval texts and traditions in the creation of public monuments since c.1800
• Modern uses and reuses of medieval sites
• National (and nationalistic) uses of monuments invoking medieval traditions
• The use of monuments by sub- national communities
• The use of medieval European traditions in non-European contexts
• The dialogue between modern identities and statuary invoking the Middle Ages

Session organizer
Simon John, Swansea University