St. Francis of Assisi was a short man, with dark eyes and large ears. He was definitely also a charming man.
Author: medieval .eu
The Restoration of the Tomb and Reburial of Otto the Great
In January 2025, a major programme of conservation and research began on the tomb of Otto the Great in Magdeburg Cathedral as serious deterioration had been discovered
Did Otto the Great Die from a Stroke?
Not only do we possess what is likely an eyewitness account from AD 973 of the death of Emperor Otto the Great, but recent studies of his remains might fit the description.
The Emperor’s Marble
Was the great antique marble slab covering Otto the Great’s tomb brought from Ravenna as imperial spolia – and chosen to evoke the world of Charlemagne?
From meat and milk to sheep and grain
New research traces a millennium of changing animal husbandry and cereal production in medieval England
Pox on the Sheep…
Medieval parchment tells a story of how murrains among sheep must have been recurring scourges, threatening the livelihoods of peasants and lords alike.
Otto the Great
German historians of the 19th and early 20th centuries claimed that Otto the Great (912–973) was responsible for consolidating Germany as a nation. Modern historians tell a more nuanced story.
Early Medieval Venice – and the Making of Venetian Identity
How did Venice emerge as an independent political community between two competing empires, the Frankish realm and Byzantium? And how did its inhabitants construct a collective memory of their past?
Memleben – a Royal and Monastic Centre in 10thcentury Germany
Memleben, one of the royal centres in Ottonian Germany is located at the river Unstrut. Founded in the 8th century, its heyday fell in the late 10th century, when the last Ottonians briefly planned to turn the place into a memorial shrine for their dynasty
Medieval Poggibonsi and Surroundings
Heavily bombarded during WW2Poggibonsi’s charm resides in the suburbs and its hidden gems: an open-air museum, a medieval inn and a nearby castle
Liturgy, Books and Franciscan Identity in Medieval Umbria
New book explores the Franciscans and their relationship with manuscript production networks operating in Umbrian the 13th and 14th centuries
Franciscan Women – Medieval and Beyond
Franciscan Women: Medieval & Beyond is a conference designed to frame a mutually enriching conversation between academic scholars and franciscan women of today
Franciscan Art in Florence
Franciscan art flourished in the Late Middle Ages as the religious movement spread all over Europe as well as Asia. This summer the Accademia in Florence shows a spectacular selection
Newly found life of St. Francis published
A small notebook of obvious Franciscan origin was recently shown to contain a hitherto unknown Vita of St. Francis, written by Thomas di Celano. It has now been edited
Romita di Cesi – Experience the true Franciscan Spirituality
The Romita de Cesi is a hermitage located on Mount Torre Maggiore near the Town of Cesi in Terni. Difficult to find, it offers a spiritual tranquillity reminiscent of the early Franciscans
The Garden of St. Francis
St. Francis is known for his devotion to nature and generally recognised at the patron saint for the environment. But was he also a gardener?