The project had a strong interdisciplinary level by integrating medieval iconography, liturgy, hagiography, and cultural studies. The research indicated the intricate connection between these fields and the processes of assimilating Apocryphal data. The project has omitted in its initial phase material related to the devotio moderna, because of the large amount of information that had to be included in the research itself. Finally, some material pertaining to this phenomenon has been included as the trace of the research really required it for comparative purposes. It is the case of visual material rather than textual.
The overall objective was reached by concentrating on several working stages:
The first specific objective identified the quantum of Marian Apocrypha integrated into the liturgical material of fourteenth-to-sixteenth century France with particular emphasis on the Nativity and Presentation at the Temple.
The investigation continued with the cultural and religious use of Apocryphal material in connection to hagiographic collections. In several cases Marian elements were inserted in hagiographic collections showing that the Apocryphal elements of the vita Marianum are not static, but moving elements, and together with them one speaks of iconographic movement.
Due to the relatively small number of examples of epigraphic material and the project results, the epigraphic analysis has been omitted.
The project analyzed the connection between Marian iconography (of apocryphal nature) and liturgy. The research focused on two significant iconographic patterns, Nativity of Mary and Presentation at the Temple, as by the end of the fourteenth century, Marian feasts such as the Presentation at the Temple, started to become universal. It investigated developments and differences with regard to the space of dissemination, be that church space or the space of the manuscript folio. This furthered the gender dimension of the research as it investigated differences concerning the use of textual/visual apocryphal material when offered for female opposed to male audience, be that in church space, monastic space or in private space, as resources for private devotion. More precisely, my sources indicated a difference in the use of iconographies when themes such as The Presentation at the Temple are displayed in church space, that is general audience, both male and female, or private devotion, female audience.
Furthermore the research indicated the use of gendered models for the construction of iconographies: masculine models, that of Christ, for the construction of Mary’s presentation to the temple, and feminine models, the use of Marian iconography for the construction of female saints, such as Saint Anne.
The fourth specific objective analysed the apocryphal visual (and textual) material in the context of the devotio moderna. The project has omitted in its initial phase material related to the devotio moderna, because of the large amount of information that had to be included in the research itself. However, some material pertaining to this phenomenon has been included as the trace of the research really required it for comparative purposes. It is the case of visual material rather than textual. Marian domestic representations have been substituted by other iconographic and textual sources which enhanced the gendered dimension of the research.
A number of three scientific publications disseminating the project results have been submitted for review. One of the three publications has already been out of press and uploaded on ARCA-openAIRE-open access repositories of Ca’ Foscari University of Venice.
Further results were disseminated via teaching activities, social media, websites, participation to the European researchers' night, conferences, and workshops.
