Temptation and Sensuality in the Middle Ages

What was so appealing about the forbidden fruit in the Garden of Eden? Why did courtly love poets find sensuality in pining after lovers who rejected them? The Middle Ages offers a number of curious texts, art, and attitudes about the roles of denial, overindulgence, self-restraint, and allegory in the expression of desire. Take a tour through some key documents that showcase this curious spectrum of medieval thoughts on love!
With a PhD in medieval history, Dr. Christine Axen is on a mission to make everyone fall in love with the Middle Ages. She is passionate about teaching, both at the university level and in the public forum, and loves to give tours at the Met Cloisters. Her research specialty is thirteenth-century French religious history, with a focus on the bishop of Avignon, the convent of St Catherine, and sacred space in medieval cities. In all her endeavors, Christine seeks to illuminate female voices of the past, and to share their stories.