Des aristocrates byzantines et serbes comme donatrices et bienfaitrices aux monastères du Mont Athos au Moyen Âge

Abstract

The donations made by women to the monasteries of the Holy Mountain constitute an important aspect of the medieval history of this monastic community. Starting with the Blessed Virgin Mary, who, according to tradition, visited Mount Athos, consecrating the peninsula by her presence, the women, in particular with their orders of objects of visual culture, continued to contribute to the sacralization of this location. Traditions, documents and artefacts testify that many women, either with their families or independently, endowed the monasteries of the Holy Mountain. The female gifts mentioned in the charters and also the gifts kept today in the treasures of the monasteries of Mount Athos are important evidence of worship and works of art displaying high standards of workmanship of their time which left an important mark on the history of visual culture.