Padua, 02 October 2024

Micol Long and Zuleika Murat’s articles in Cahiers d’études italiennes 39: Objects: Gender, Practices, Representations (Italy, Middle Ages – Baroque) have been published!
These two articles were published as part of an issue of Cahiers d’études italiennes 39 (2024) entitled “Objects: Gender, Practices, Representations (Italy, Middle Ages – Baroque)”, which is available in Open Access: https://journals.openedition.org//cei/
Micol Long’s article, entitled “Sacred Images, Candles, Bags and Figs: Materiality and Sensory Agency in the Religious Experience of Late Medieval Women”, examines the sensory agency exerted by different types of objects in the religious experience of late medieval women whose life is attested to us by hagiographies and spiritual autobiographies produced in the Italian area between the 13th and the 15th century. In examining the references to such objects, I pay particular attention to how the different senses were involved in the interaction between the objects and the individuals around them, as a crucial means to assess whether and how these objects could influence the people around them and play an active role in social relations. The first part of the article takes as case‑study the Latin Life of Umiliana Cerchi (ca. 1246), analyzing its representation of the role of an image of the Virgin Mary in the woman’s devotional experience. The second part is organized thematically and relies on a variety of sources which, compared and juxtaposed, offer insights into the role played by these objects in the devotional life of women in the context in question.
See and download Micol Long’s article
Zuleika Murat’s article, entitled “Medieval Children. Objects, Practices, Documents“, explores a frequently overlooked yet significant aspect of medieval society: children. By analysing educational practices, the study reveals cognitive mechanisms grounded in embodiment, experiential learning, and the purposeful engagement of the senses to nurture religious devotion. It pioneers the use of modern cognitive theories, such as the “Cognitive-Affective Theory of Learning with Media” (CATLM), in historical analysis, identifying medieval instances of “interactive multimodal learning environments”. The focus is on children’s religious objects, practices, and sources from 13th–15th century Italy, with comparisons to similar artefacts from other European regions to address gaps in material evidence. The essay examines a range of objects, from pedagogical tools to devotional works, emphasising how they engaged the senses and shaped the spiritual and intellectual development of children. Ultimately, this paper aims to reintegrate material culture into the study of medieval childhood, illustrating how these artefacts influenced both religious practices and broader social norms.