Medieval Wonders: Art, Architecture, and Tales of Pilgrimage (classroom)
At a Glance
- Classroom course (South Kensington)
- Mondays 18:00 - 20:00
- 10 weeks | November - February
- Starts 11 November 2024
- Fees from £144
- Tutors: Sarah James and Michael Paraskos
Enrol-by Date
- 4 November 2024
This course is also available online.
Join Dr Sarah James and Dr Michael Paraskos in the classoom at our South Kensington campus every Monday evening for an entertaining and enlightening exploration of the art, architecture and stories associated with mediaeval pilgrims.
On this journey of exploration we will hear about some of the greatest architecture ever created in Europe and the eastern Mediterranean, discovering why many of our great cathedrals were created, and how they relate to other art made at the time.
We will also hear some of the extraordinary, sometimes funny and sometimes sad, stories of the people who visited these buildings in the middle ages.
We will also discover some of the lost medieval pilgrimage sites, such as Abu Mina in Egypt, which was once one of the most visited pilgrimage sites in the world, and ask the question is there any lasting legacy of this early form of tourism in the modern world.
As well as being a fascinating and rewarding exploration of the history of art, architecture and literature, the Art, Architecture and Stories of Pilgrimage is an extremely enjoyable and fun journey into Europe's past, that can help you get more out of visiting historic buildings across Europe and the Mediterranean.
How the Class Works
This is a hybrid class that will be taught simultaneously by two tutors, with Dr Sarah James online and Dr Michael Paraskos in the classroom. Whether you are in the classroom or online you will be taught by both tutors at each teaching session.
To find out more about the online version of the course click here.
Class Recordings
Recorded versions of these classes will be available, although they will not be recordings of the actual teaching sessions.
Attendance Certificate
Successful completion of this course leads to the award of an Imperial College attendance certificate
Terms and conditions apply to all enrolments to this course. Please read them before enrolment
Course Information
Course Programme
Course Programme (subject to possible change)
Each week our sessions will begin with a group discussion on a specific object with a connection to pilgrimage.
- Week 1 - Monday 11 November 2024: The Art(works) of Pilgrimage
- Week 2 - Monday 18 November 2024: Pilgrimage and the Crusades
- Week 3 - Monday 25 November 2024: Saints and Shrines
- Week 4 - Monday 2 December 2024: England's Greatest Shrine: St Thomas Becket and Canterbury
- Week 5 - Monday 9 December 2024: Roman Holy Days I: Mediaeval Rome
•••CHRISTMAS VACATION•••
- Week 6 - Monday 13 January 2025: The Heavenly City – Jerusalem
- Week 7 - Monday 20 January 2025: Roman Holy Days II: Later Pilrgimage to Rome
- Week 8 - Monday 27 January 2025: Communities of Pilgrims
- Week 9 - Monday 3 February 2025: Pilgrimage in the Age of Romanticism
- Week 10 - Monday 10 February 2025: Pilgrimage in the Age of Romanticism
Your Tutors
Dr Sarah James’s work is focused on medieval hagiography from c.1100-1500. Far from being timeless and aloof, saints in this period are continually being reimagined by writers in ways that perform important social, religious and political work of immediate contemporary relevance.
To understand that work Sarah explores a range of evidence, including the written lives, documentary records, and representations of the saints in material culture. Her geographical focus is wide-ranging, including both the Latin west and more recently Byzantium; the island of Cyprus in this period is of particular significance to her work at present and is likely to remain so.
Dr Michael Paraskos is a very experienced adult education tutor, having taught for over twenty-five years. He is a Visiting Professor at York St John University and holds a Fellowship of the Higher Education Academy. He is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts, and also teaches art history to students at the City and Guilds of London Art School. Michael has published very widely on art, as well as reviewing exhibitions and novels for BBC Radio 4’s Front Row and The Spectator magazine. His first novel In Search of Sixpence was published in 2016 and his second, called Barfrestone, was published in 2024.
What did last year's students think of the course?
We asked last year's students to give anonymous feedback and this is what they told us:*
- "My first adult ed course at Imperial, and I am highly impressed. The lectures have been tremendously interesting and well put together. Presentation by the two tutors is first-rate."
- "This is a very enjoyable and stimulating course."
- "An excellent course - enthusiastically presented by two very knowledgeable academics."
* These comments come from feedback for the course 10 Great English Cathedrals, also jointly taught by Sarah and Michael, due to this course not being offered last year.
And overall all adult education students in 2023-2024 rated our courses as excellent with a score of 4.7 out of 5.
Thank you to everyone who completed the annual survey.
Course Fees and Rate Categories
| Weeks | Standard Rate | Internal Rate | Associate Rate | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 | Early Bird: £241 Full price: £268 |
Early Bird: £144 Full price: £160 |
Early Bird: £190 Full price: £211 |
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| All fee rates quoted are for the whole course. Early Bird rates are available until the end of 30 September only. Part-payments are not possible. | |||||
Rate Categories and Discounts
Standard Rate
- Available to all except those who fall under the Internal Rate or Associate Rate category.
Internal Rate
- Current Imperial College students and staff (incl. Imperial NHS Trust, Imperial Innovations, ancillary & service staff employed on long-term contracts at Imperial College by third-party contractors)
- People enrolling under our Friends & Family scheme
- Alumni of Imperial College and predecessor colleges and institutes, including City & Guilds College Association members
- Students, staff and alumni of the Royal College of Art, Royal College of Music and City, UAL and the City and Guilds of London Art School
- Students, staff and Governors of Woodhouse College and the IC Mathematics School
Associate Rate
- Austrian Cultural Forum staff
- Co-operative College members
- Francis Crick Institute staff, researchers and students
- Friends and Patrons of the English Chamber Orchestra
- Friends of Hyde Park and Kensington Gardens
- Friends of Leighton House/ Sambourne House
- Friends of the Royal College of Music
- Harrods staff
- Historic Royal Palaces staff
- Lycee Charles de Gaulle staff
- Members of the Friends of Imperial College
- Members of the Kennel Club
- Members of the London Zoological Society
- Members of the South London Botanical Institute (SLBI)
- Members of the UK Council for Psychotherapy (UKCP)
- National Health Service (NHS) employees
- Natural History Museum staff
- Residents of postcodes SW3, SW5, SW7, SW10 and W8
- Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea Council staff
- Royal Geographical Society staff
- Science Museum staff
- Staff of Exhibition Road Cultural Group (Discover South Kensington) organisations
- Students (non-Imperial College)
- Teachers and other staff of UK schools
- The American Institute for Foreign Study
- Tutors and other staff of institution members of the Association of Colleges
- Tutors and other staff of other universities and higher education institutions
- Victoria and Albert Museum staff
Late enrolment
It is possible to enrol on many of our adult education courses after the course has already started. For non-language courses this is subject entirely to agreement by the tutor. For language courses it is subject to agreement by the language coordinator conducting level assessment. If you want to join a course late do bear in mind there might be work you will need to catch up on, particularly in language courses.
Friends and Family Scheme
This course is eligible for allowing Imperial College students and staff to share their discount with their friends and family.
Term Dates 2024-25
| Weeks | Autumn term | Spring term | Summer term | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 | Week starting 11 November - week ending 14 December 2024 (5 weeks)* | Week starting 13 January - week ending 15 February 2025 (5 weeks)* | n/a | ||
| *This is a 2-term course: Autumn term PLUS Spring term | |||||
Enrolment Process
Enrolment via the blue booking link is open. Early-bird discounts are available until the end of 30 September 2024
Enrolment and payment run through the Imperial College eStore. When enrolling:
- Do check on the drop down menu above called "Course Fees and Rate Categories" to see if you are eligible for a discounted rate and also do make sure you select that rate when enrolling on the eStore
- If you are a first-time eStore user you will need to create an account before enrolling. You can do this by entering an email address and password. This account can then be used for any future enrolments via the eStore.
When you have enrolled you will be sent the following email notifications:
| What is sent | When is it sent | What does it contain | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Payment confirmation | Is sent straight away following submission of your online application |
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| 2. Enrolment confirmation | Is usually sent within 10 working days. Please treat your payment confirmation as confirmation that your applicant details and payment have been received |
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| 3. Programme information | Is usually sent on Friday late afternoon the week before term starts |
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Any Questions?
If you have any questions about the academic content or teaching of this course please contact the Course Tutor, Dr Michael Paraskos, m.paraskos@imperial.ac.uk
If you have any questions about your enrolment or payment processes please contact the Programme Administrator, Christian Jacobi, eveningclass@imperial.ac.uk