How bold and skilled was the man who first made a ship and put to sea before the wind, seeking a land he could not see and a shore he could not know. 

Robert Wace (c. 1110–c. 1174) 

Depending on where one would stand in Europe in the Middle Ages, the sea could either be the centre of the known world or its ultimate edge. This mixed potential has always drawn humans into the big unknown, allowing them to use the sea to catch fish, to sail towards distant lands for reasons of faith and trade, to establish contacts with civilisations of different creeds, to wage wars for political and economic domination, and inspired them to write poetry and dream about the world beyond. All this is reflected in the abundant researches from Archaeology, Art History, History, Literature, and other disciplines that, in the past decades, have investigated fisheries and natural resources, overseas trade and commercial institutions, maritime power and socioeconomic conflict management, religious migrations, among other topics. 

The sixth edition of the Medieval Europe in Motion conference (28.11.2022 – 01.12.2022) is dedicated to the sea and welcomes papers from all disciplines. Topics of the conference could include, but are by no means limited to: 

  • Art and literary works 
  • Artistic transfers by the sea 
  • Artistic production in seaside cities 
  • Circulation of manuscripts, patrons, and materials 
  • Circulation of techniques and ideas 
  • Commerce and its agents 
  • Conflict management 
  • Cultural encounters 
  • Diplomacy and political contacts 
  • Naval warfare and military expeditions 
  • Geographical expeditions 
  • Marine archaeology 
  • Maritime connections between seas 
  • Maritime frontiers 
  • Maritime landscapes 
  • Maritime law 
  • Nautical cartography and its production 
  • Perceptions and knowledge of the sea 
  • Port towns 
  • Power and institutions 
  • Pilgrimage and religious devotion 
  • Real and imaginary journeys 
  • Socioeconomic networks 

The Conference will also have a section dedicated to “Medieval Lisbon and the Sea”, continuing the tradition of studies on medieval Lisbon within the Institute of Medieval Studies. Proposals for papers are also welcome in this section. 

INSTRUCTIONS FOR THE SUBMISSION OF PAPER PROPOSALS 
(scholars of all disciplines are welcome to apply with proposals for sessions or individual papers): 

Official languages: English, Portuguese, Spanish, French, Italian 

Deadline for the submission of proposals: 20 June 2022 (extended deadline) 

The Conference will take place exclusively face-to-face. 

1. Proposals for sessions of 3 speakers: 

Each session will have three papers of 20 minutes. The organizer should submit the session proposal with all the relevant elements: name and affiliation of the organizer, title of the session, names and affiliation of speakers and moderator, title of the individual papers and abstracts. 

2. Proposals for individual papers: 

Individual proposals should be offered considering papers of up to 20 minutes and include: speaker’s name and affiliation, title and abstract of the paper. 

All applications must be sent along with a title and abstract of no more than 250 words as well as a short CV of the applicants to: motioniem@fcsh.unl.pt 

The authors of the accepted proposals will be notified by 30 June 2022. 

A peer-reviewed volume of selected proceedings will be published in 2023. 

Conference registration fees (per speaker – includes documentation and coffee-breaks): 

  • € 80 (until 31st August 2022) 
  • € 100 (from 1 to 30 September) 

Accommodation should be booked and payed for by the participants; information about hotels and other accommodations will be given, as required, by the organising committee. 

Organising Institution: Institute of Medieval Studies (NOVA University of Lisbon – School of Social Sciences and Humanities) 

Partnerships: Centro Interuniversitário de História das Ciências e da Tecnologia (CIUHCT); Municipality of Lisbon (CML); Museu de Marinha; Sociedade de Geografia de Lisboa; UNESCO Chair “The Ocean’s Cultural Heritage”.