Twelfth-Century Pilgrimage Art in Bethlehem and Jerusalem: Points of Contact between Europe and the Crusader Kingdom

Twelfth-century pilgrimage art in Bethlehem reveals a significant cultural exchange between Europe and the Crusader Kingdom, with the Church of the Nativity showcasing the most extensive programme of pilgrim-sponsored art from that era. These large icons, adorning the church's columns, feature a diverse array of saintly figures, including cult images of the Virgin and Child, apostles, bishops, deacons, ascetics, soldier-saints, holy kings, and important female saints. Rarely, the pilgrims who commissioned these paintings were also represented. Additionally, an independent devotional icon links patron saints associated with three major Christian pilgrimage sites—Jerusalem, Rome, and Santiago de Compostela—suggesting a pilgrim's journey across all three locations.

Folda, J. (2017). Twelfth-Century Pilgrimage Art in Bethlehem and Jerusalem: Points of Contact between Europe and the Crusader Kingdom. Romanesque and the Mediterranean, 1–14. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781351191074-1