Final Book Conference Late Medieval and Early Modern Narratives of Islam across Europe: Connected Memory
Scientific Coordinators: Antonio Urquízar-Herrera, Borja Franco and Elena Paulino
Venue and Date: UNED, Madrid (Spain) – February 2023
Meeting call:
The focus of the book will be the analysis of the late medieval and early modern written and visual narratives that have historically shaped the European understanding of the continent’s Islamic heritage. This will be achieved through four sections devoted to different case studies on narratives connected to i) religion, ii) permeability, iii) opposition, and iv) images. A coda will delve into the modern concepts used by the historiography currently dealing with these narratives.
The aim of this book will not be to summarize a research project or to serve as a record of the proceedings of a meeting, but to produce deeply reflective material based on a collective conversation addressing the book’s four thematic sections. Importantly, the different chapters will be the result of collaborative work¬¬ – oriented by the editors ¬– among two, three, or four authors coming from different corners of the continent and different disciplines. The intent of this approach is not to produce comparative histories, but rather a connected history seeking to define pan-European trends.
Among others, the following questions will connect the different chapters of the book: What were the main narratives that circulated in late medieval and early modern Europe and the Mediterranean in relation to each of the topics? How have these narratives impacted current views on these topics, addressing both academic and popular perception? Did these narratives connect different corners of Europe and the Mediterranean? In what way did this happen or not happen?
