On 30 June, the Institute of Medieval Studies, the School of Social Sciences and Humanities, NOVA University (IEM-NOVA FCSH) is actively participating in the Heritage Festival 2018, staged annually by the Directorate-General for Cultural Heritage (DGPC), at the National Palace of Ajuda and its surrounding gardens.
Between 11am and 5pm, IEM-NOVA FCSH, in cooperation with REQUIMTE – Research Laboratory in Green Chemistry, the Faculty of Sciences and Technology, NOVA University (FCT NOVA) will be in attendance in the Workshops area with an program raising awareness about the writing and illumination of medieval manuscripts, entitled “Escrever e pintar na Idade Média” (Writing and painting in the Middle Ages) in a program for adults and children, set up as a diptych, with two workshops: “Quando a pintura estava nos livros. À descoberta da iluminura medieval portuguesa com o Cancioneiro da Ajuda e o Livro das Aves do Mosteiro do Lorvão” (When painting was in books. Discovering Portuguese medieval illumination with the Ajuda Songbook and the Book of Birds from the Lorvão Abbey) and “Quando os monges faziam livros: segredos de Alcobaça” (When monks made books: secrets from Alcobaça).
This provides a context in which everyone can see how paints and colours were made in the Middle Ages as well as experiment with their application. Besides a specialist team ready and able to welcome and guide visitors, there will also be a touch screen showing the different components of a medieval scriptorium and the different stages of composing a manuscript codex.
For the “little ones”, between 4 and 8 years old, there is the opportunity to paint an illuminated letter and write some letters on a “parchment” that can then be taken home!
Come and join us!
WRITING AND PAINTING IN THE MIDDLE AGES
Awareness raising action organised by IEM-NOVA FCSH in partnership with REQUIMTE (preservation of cultural heritage research group), with the provision of this double workshop, when children and adults can play and enjoy experimenting with the techniques, colours, letters and inks of the Middle Ages.
WORKSHOP 1: “Quando a pintura estava nos livros. À descoberta da iluminura medieval portuguesa com o Cancioneiro da Ajuda e o Livro das Aves do Mosteiro do Lorvão”
In the context of medieval culture and mentalities, the illuminated codex holds a transdisciplinary status. History, History of Art, Musicology, Graphic Design, Literature, Conservation and Restoration are among the fields contributing to deeper knowledge.
In an augmented reality environment, via an interactive screen, this explores and discovers this knowledge, learning about the great cultural centres at the time of King Afonso Henriques and before!
Discover how the most precious colours of the Middle Ages were produced in Portugal and choose whether you want to get working and reproduce the paints of the 12th-14th centuries.
WORKSHOP 2: “Quando os monges faziam livros: segredos de Alcobaça“
We here discover how to paint either an initial or an animal on parchment! The workshop features presentations of manuscript books as they existed in the Monastery of Alcobaça at the time of the first kings of Portugal.
The various phases of book production will be explained, with a particular emphasis on illuminated decoration.
Children will then be invited to make an “illumination”, on paper imitating parchment, with writing instruments replicating the instruments used by the monks (nibs and brushes) and may then take home the results of their production.
Come and learn how to do illuminations with us!