The International Conference COMMEMORtis – What survives after death? Parish communities and death commemoration strategies in the medieval city invites all researchers working on the medieval urban parish and studying the history of death and the economy of salvation. We also encourage the participation of historiographical analysis based on Digital Humanities. We therefore invite the submission of proposals for communications that will scrutinise late medieval urban parishes and their parishioners, taking particular notice of the beliefs and behaviour predicated upon death.

Presentation

This international conference will be held in the frame of the exploratory research project COMMEMORtis – What survives after death? Parish communities and death commemoration strategies in the medieval city EXPL/HARHIS/0532/2021, funded by Portuguese funds (PIDDAC), through FCT (Portuguese national funding agency for science, research and technology) (I.P./MCTES), hosted in the Centre for History of Society and Culture (UIDB/00311/2020 and UIDP/00311/2020), coordinated by Maria Amélia Campos (DL57/2016/CP1370/CT0068).

For the International Conference COMMEMORtis we therefore invite the submission of proposals for communications that will scrutinise late medieval urban parishes and their parishioners, taking particular notice of the beliefs and behaviour predicated upon death. We would especially appreciate studies of longer-term practice, as well as analyses of the role played by women in the arrangement of burial and commemorative practices, and in the management of bequests. Research based on resources generated by Digital Humanities would also be very welcome.

Topic Propsals

We suggest the following research strands, which should be taken separately but rather as intersecting plans:

Sources

• Edition and research on wills and other sources related with death.
• Palaeographic, codicological and diplomatic approaches.
• Digital editions.

Parish Communities

• Lay and ecclesiastic communities and its relationship with the parish church and other religious institution.
• Confraternities and other assistance associations towards the death.
• Computational databases and digital networks.

Death commemoration strategies

• Bequest managements and funereal memory ceremonies foundation.
• Religious intercessors to the salvation of the souls.
• Lay intercessors to the salvation of the souls.

Religious minorities in the Christian city

• Jew and Islamic communities towards the death.
• Rituals and assistance strategies.
• Convergences and conflict with Christian communities.

What survives after death?

• The widows and its role on bequest management.
• Orphans’ protection.
• Communities’ destruction and restructuring during the crisis’s periods.
• Cemeteries and other burial places.

How to apply

Submission guidelines - Communication proposal may be sent

thru January 31, 2023

to commemortis[at]gmail[ponto]com and must present title; a 400 words abstract on main problems to explore during 30 minutes; 3/5 keywords; a 400 words curricular notice.

Conference languages: Portuguese, Castilian, French and English.

Schedule

• Communication proposal submission – January 31 2023
• Communication proposal acceptance – March 1 de 2023
• Conference held in person in Coimbra (Portugal) – July 10-12 2023
• Final version submission for publishing – September 1 2023
• This conference will be held in Coimbra (Portugal), July 10-12.

Organizing committee

• Maria Amélia CAMPOS (CHSC, U. Coimbra)
• Ana Isabel RIBEIRO (CEIS20, U. Coimbra)
• Ana Maria CORREIA (CHSC, U. Coimbra)
• Gabriel BONORA (CHSC, U. Coimbra)
• Mariana BARREIRA (CHSC, U. Coimbra)

Scientific committee

• Clive BURGESS (Royal Holloway, U. London)
• Joaquim Ramos de CARVALHO (CEIS20, U. Coimbra ; Instituto Português de Macau)
• Maria Helena da Cruz COELHO (CHSC, U. Coimbra)
• Anne MASSONI (CRIHAM, U. Limoges)
• Fermín MIRANDA GARCÍA (Universidad Autónoma de Madrid)
• Thierry PÉCOUT (LEM-CERCOR, U. Jean Monnet, Saint-Étienne)
• Hermínia VILAR (CIDEHUS, U. Évora)