02/07/2026 15:00 - 17:10

HALL: Pola - A103

Contact: Di Cosmo A.P.

Chair: Di Cosmo A.P.

This panel explores the figure of the Virgin Mary as a central intersection between theological reflection, devotional practice, and visual culture, spanning from the early Middle Ages to the early modern period. Anchored in historical mariological texts — patristic writings, medieval treatises, and early modern devotionals — it examines how core doctrines of Marian theology, including divine maternity, intercession, purity, and queenship, were translated into complex visual systems, iconographic formulas, and performative devices.


The analysis focuses on the interplay between textual authority, as exemplified in documents such as Redemptoris Mater, and artistic production, demonstrating how Mary's image functioned not merely as illustration but as a dynamic medium shaping perception, piety, and memory. Paintings, sculptures, and illuminated manuscripts are examined to reveal strategies by which the Virgin was depicted as a locus of protection, authority, and affective engagement.


By correlating doctrinal developments with visual expression, the panel reconstructs a nuanced Marian semiotics, highlighting the enduring impact of visual culture on the reception and transformation of Mariology across centuries.