The URJC has led the research on Christian art and liturgy in the Middle Ages

Editorial/Ginés Miñano 

The meeting took place at the Quintana Headquarters and was held within the framework of the Research Project Thesauri RituumFunded by the Community of Madrid, it has brought together national and international speakers and numerous speakers specializing in the study of the instruments, books and vestments used in the Christian liturgy of the Middle Ages.

The project has aimed to analyze the importance that liturgical objects from the Christian Middle Ages have had in the ritual culture of their time, their representation in medieval images and the impact they have generated in later centuries, up to their current presence in museums, churches and cathedrals.

The research has focused on recovering the original meaning of medieval ritual uses and customs associated with liturgical objects. To this end, attention has been paid to the social processes that have modified their functions over time, as well as to the material, ornamental, and cultural aspects that have influenced their preservation, reuse, and reinterpretation.

Institutional support and participation of international specialists

The scientific meeting has broadened the analysis beyond the materiality of ritual objects, exploring their sumptuary, performative, and sensory dimensions. In the words of its coordinator, Professor Ángel Pazos López, the congress “has allowed us to highlight a wide range of material objects that have traditionally been relegated from classical studies of medieval art history.”

The dean of the FCEDEIFernando del Villar, a professor at the Faculty of Arts, has strongly supported research into medieval liturgy and participated in the opening panel alongside Professor Ángel Pazos López and Professor María Ávila Bravo-Villasante, Secretary of the Department of Historical and Social Studies. The event brought together specialists and students from national and international universities and research centers, reinforcing the role of Rey Juan Carlos University as a leading institution in the study of medieval art and liturgy.