Furnishing the Soul: Medieval Maps, Meditation, and Metaphor

Professor Dan Terkla with Illinois Wesleyan University provides a new context in which to think about how some world maps from the twelfth and thirteenth centuries were used. He argues that these maps worked in concert with the architectural layouts and furnishings of Gothic churches—especially tableau, painted and lettered informational tablets—to guide visitors through the terrestrial realm while pointing them toward its celestial counterpart.