Migrating Art Historians: 1500 km Pilgrimage Course to Study Medieval Art

A new academic project, Migrating Art Historians, replaces traditional classroom learning with a four-month, 1500 km pilgrimage from Lausanne to Mont Saint-Michel through medieval routes in Switzerland and France. Conceived by Ivan Foletti, associate professor at Masaryk University in Brno and Maître Assistant at the University of Lausanne, the course runs from March 1 to the end of June. Twelve students will walk as modern pilgrims, with three-week stops at key monastic centers: the abbey church of Sainte-Foy in Conques, the abbey of Saint-Benoît-sur-Loire, and finally Mont Saint-Michel in Normandy. During these stops, renowned scholars including Éric Palazzo, Hans Belting, Bissera Pentcheva, and Herbert L. Kessler will give lectures on medieval art, streamed online for public access. The project aims to transform public perception of the Middle Ages, often seen as a dark era, and to make art history a living experience. Results will be shared via twelve short films, photographs, and an e-learning platform. A fundraising campaign launched on Indiegogo on November 1 offers rewards ranging from acknowledgments in videos to a full week's stay at the Conques monastery with access to lectures by top medieval art historians.