Greek luthier leads project to determine if medieval instruments in Romanesque art were real or symbolic

A Greek luthier has assembled a team of artisans, historians, and sculptors in Spain to investigate whether the musical instruments depicted in Romanesque and Gothic art were faithful representations of everyday objects or purely symbolic. The project focuses on the Collegiate Church of Toro in Zamora, where 24 elders from the Book of Revelation are shown playing violas, flutes, and drums on 12th- and 13th-century portals. The team aims to determine if stone carvers copied real instruments or created idealized images. The research challenges assumptions about medieval material culture and musical practices.