CANCELLED: Visualizing Saintly Commerce in the Medieval Mediterranean

Much has been written on notions of cultural transfer in the medieval Mediterranean, where a wide array of Catholic and Muslim rulers competed over territory while simultaneously exchanging gifts and establishing trade agreements between port cities like Alexandria, Genoa, Venice, and Istanbul. One of the more elusive aspects of this history is the movement of relics, sacred objects, and even sacred spaces along these commercial routes of the Mediterranean. This poster presentation investigates critically the notion of cultural transfer in the context of both the medieval Mediterranean economy and political patronage of sainthood, inviting medieval historians to consider the ways Muslim, Catholic, and Greek Orthodox relics, holy objects, spaces, and meanings were part of a shared visual culture in a contested political milieu. At the heart of this poster presentation are original photographs of illustrative spaces and objects placed alongside excerpts of published and unpublished medieval travel accounts narrating their significance. Together, the photographs and travel narratives tell a story about the intersection of commerce, sanctity, politics, and visual culture in the medieval Mediterranean.