The TEMPLA research team (Taller de Estudios Medievales: Programas, Liturgia, Arquitectura) has sent us this notice of their current research project, on lay memorials in sacred spaces:

Sedes Memoriae 3: Commemoration of the Laity vis-à-vis the Material Presence of the Sacred: Medieval Cathedrals and Abbeys in the Kingdoms of Asturias, León, Castile, Aragon, Mallorca, and the Catalan Counties.

Summary:
One of the central themes of contemporary social discourse, in our country and the similar ones, is the compatibility of secularism construed today as an inclusive framework through which diverse citizens navigate political tensions and safeguard their rights and the management of the legacies and expressions of contemporary religious practices. Political institutions and communicative platforms often juxtapose universalist and communitarian values, alongside divergent attitudes toward transcendence and materialism. To further our understanding of this cultural challenge, which engages core principles such as freedom, submission, and guilt, it is both relevant and productive to incorporate epistemological perspectives drawn from Art History and Medieval Studies. The former, as an inherently interpretative discipline resistant to dogmatism, offers invaluable insights, while the latter examines enduring cultural and spiritual traditions, providing critical reflective tools for contemporary society. In The Elementary Forms of Religious Life, Durkheim argued that the division of the world into sacred and profane spheres represents one of the most distinctive features of religious thought. However, this dichotomy proves difficult to apply directly to medieval art. From the fourth century onward, secular individuals, practices, and discourses were frequently intertwined with religious architecture, imagery, and artifacts. The incorporation of secular elements into sacred contexts reveals a dynamic interrelationship that transcends the simple addition of motifs or objects. This significant cultural phenomenon facilitated the congregation of both lay and religious audiences within the same ritual spaces. Moreover, from the very inception of Christian architecture, the laity occupied hierarchical positions, both in life and in death, reflected in their distinct burial sites, whether reserved or generic. This process witnessed notable transformations; however, the specific causes underlying these changes in varying contexts remain insufficiently explored.

The aim of this project is to investigate the evolution of the reconciliation between secular status and participation in religious rituals by both rulers and subjects from the ninth to the fifteenth century. In alignment with Evans-Pritchards perspective, we contend that concepts of sacredness and profanity must be understood as context-dependent constructs, shaped by time and space. Specifically, we intend to map the motivations, procedures, formulations and strategies that underlie the inclusion of privileged lay burials and the inscription of names and images within medieval Hispanic sacramental contexts.

This approach is informed by two primary considerations:

1. that while awaiting the consummation of history and the fulfillment of the Second Coming, distinguished individuals sought the benefits afforded by religious offices, including the immediacy and mediation of holy bodies and sacred objects;
2. that the broader community of the faithful also engaged with these sensory experiences.

Our analysis will focus on the demarcated sepulchral enclosures that promoted memorial tribute, a practice established in the fourth century and, after the inclusion of lay tombs in churches from the late twelfth century, revived in the fourteenth century. Sedes Memoriae 3, builds upon the insights of its two preceding projects and culminates a triptych of analyses on memory within spaces of cult.

Some examples of the project team’s work:

https://www.medievalart.org/icmacommunitynews/inaugural-icma-associates-lecture-2025-royal-cemeteries-in-medieval-iberia-gerardo-boto-varela-speaker-saturday-15-february-2025-1700-cet-11am-et-in-person-and-online

More information from
Gerardo BOTO VARELA
Universitat de Girona (Spain)

gerardo.boto@udg.edu