The Late Medieval Cathedral as a Place of Devotion

The cathedrals during the Late Middle Ages were first and foremost meant for the bishops and the canons and the interiors have gone through deep changes since then. However, it appears that lay people did visit the cathedrals to obtain indulgences. The aim of this thesis project is to reconstruct how lay people used the cathedrals as places of devotion.

The changes that took place in cathedral interiors from the reformation onwards have given the churches a relatively fastidious and uniform character, in which above all the pulpit and high altar are eye-catching. This is markedly different from the late medieval church interior which can really be considered as several spaces in one, with several different functions.

The focus of this project is particularly on the cathedral´s function as a place of devotion for lay people. The studies are limited to the cathedrals of Linköping and Lund, based on places, times, objects and motives that have been important. Examples from other cathedrals and to a certain extent from abbeys and parish churches are brought in.

The main aim of this thesis is thus to attempt, as far as possible, to reconstruct the late medieval interiors of the cathedrals in Linköping and Lund and to relate these to lay people´s movements and practice of piety inside the church. The source material consists of letters of indulgence, letters of donation and wills. The letters of indulgence are one of our most important sources of knowledge about late medieval devotional life and can also provide information about the furnishing and fixtures of cathedral interiors at the time.