A musicologist and specialist in the Middle Ages, Eleonora Celora has been studying liturgical manuscripts for several years. After conducting research on sources preserved in France, Italy, Belgium, and Germany, she is now focusing specifically on the role of female saints in these documents. 

Her FUNDATRICES project is supported by a Marie Skłodowska-Curie postdoctoral fellowship, European funding that will allow her to continue her research for two years at UNamur. “Having the opportunity to spend two years doing research is wonderful. It’s really what you need after a Ph.D.,” she explains. 

Songs Dedicated to the Holy Abbesses

At the heart of the project are the “offices in verse”—collections of texts and hymns composed in verse and used during the liturgy. In the Middle Ages, they were often used to commemorate a saint. 

Eleonora Celora will focus on the offices dedicated to female abbesses from the former Southern Netherlands. Indeed, several medieval abbeys were founded by women or associated with important female figures. Yet many manuscripts and early printed editions dedicated to them remain understudied, both in terms of text and music. 

The goal is to understand how these women were portrayed several centuries after their deaths, which aspects of their lives were highlighted, and what female role models were conveyed through these chants.  

Belgium has a particularly rich cultural heritage

The choice of this region is no coincidence. The former Southern Netherlands boast a particularly rich heritage of medieval music and liturgical composition. “When I began compiling a list of verse-based services dedicated to female saints, I found several in this area and realized there was truly something worth studying here,” explains Eleonora Celora. 

This proximity to the sources also played a role in her decision to join UNamur. The project is based at the “Medieval Practices of Writing” research center, where she will be able to work in an environment specializing in medieval manuscripts and written culture. “Being able to be here in Belgium, working on Belgian sources and surrounded by researchers who are familiar with this context—it’s ideal,” she emphasizes. 

Through FUNDATRICES, Eleonora Celora hopes to contribute to a better understanding of the role and representation of women in medieval societies, while highlighting a heritage that remains largely unknown. The grant also marks an important milestone in her career, one year after completing her Ph.D. “I really didn’t expect to receive this grant because competition among the different projects is very fierce. It was a wonderful surprise,” she says. Congratulations to Eleonora Celora on receiving this grant and on launching this new project at UNamur!