Fun Things to Do and Places to Visit     Left: A medieval pie fight, a fun thing to do but not recommended for the classroom

Pilgrimage: Take a pilgrimage to St. Louis Cathedral. In the meantime, take a virtual pilgrimage to Loyola's Holy Name Church, including a discussion of its architectural features and their symbolism. Then look for these same features in other local buildings, especially older churches.

A pilgrimage to a St. Joseph's Day (March 19) altar will also provide a rich sense of medieval pilgrimage and the shrine tradition. Local newspapers will contain notices of locations and visiting times for local altars.

Finally, medieval pilgrims, like modern vacationers loved "souvenirs." If one went to Compostella in Spain, the badge looked like a seashell. Pilgrims who went to Canterbury bought badges that looked like Thomas Becket. A wide variety of pilgrim badges can be seen in in museums. Replicas are available in many places. Why not design your own pilgrim badge, perhaps for your school, your town, or for any place you journey to on the "web"?

Medieval Drama and Festivals: Another bit of local culture, the Mardi Gras parade, not only has medieval roots but is also an excellent means of understanding medieval "Mystery Plays." To view those dramas, one stood in a fixed location as the various guilds came by and presented plays based on stories taken from the Old and New Testaments. While the medieval players did not toss out throws, watching the plays pass by was much like watching a parade which has a narrative. Explore medieval customs like "The Feast of Fools" or the "Celebration of the Boy Bishop" (See Plays of Our Fathers) to see what parallels exist between these medieval holidays and our Mardi Gras.

Books and Manuscripts: The Rare Book Collection at Tulane University is available for class visits (up to 30 students). Among the fascinating items in the collection of medieval manuscripts and early printed works are an elaborately decorated 12th Century missal and a page from the Gutenberg Bible. Tulane also possesses a rare copy of the Kelmscott Works of Chaucer. Produced in the late 19th Century by William Morris, it has been called "The most beautiful book ever printed." For information contact Bill Meneray, Special Collections, Joseph Merrick Jones hall, Tulane University Library, New Orleans, LA 70118-5682, (504) 865-5685, email:meneray@mailhost.tcs.tulane.edu.

Art: Medieval art is not strongly represented at NOMA. Still, there are enough  works there to make a medieval field trip worthwhile. European art at NOMA really begins at the Italian Renaissance (late 15th century). However, as you enter the building, off to the left there is a small room labeled "Early Italian Renaissance (13th and 14th Centuries)." The large early 14th c. Florentine altarpiece is typical of many medieval altarpieces. As you are facing it, look to your left at the portrait of St. Catherine by Taddeo di Bartolo (ca 1363). Be sure to notice the embossed texture of St. Catherine's halo. Here's a chance to see a  common feature of medieval art that pictures in textbooks never seem to capture fully. Most of NOMA's other medieval holdings are found  in the rear of the building on the third floor. As you come up Th. stairs  at one end of the hallway there are two works from Cambodia, a 10th century lintel and a 13th century head of a god.  against the wall , between the two entrances from the staircases are two suits of samurai armor. They are actually  slightly post-medieval (16th and 17th century), but they are representative of earlier samurai armor. The Asian rooms have a number of pieces from the period 500-1500, including tomb artifacts (China) and glazed stoneware (Japan). Jain and Hindu  works from the period are also found in the collection. The pre-Columbian gallery also has a number of items from the period, including gold from Costa Rica and Mayan sculptures which include a relief from a stele of a warrior with a captive. (You might want to compare the samurai with the mayan warrior and the medieval knight.) In short, NOMA presents a decent opportunity for one to make some cross cultural comparisons concerning various parts  of the world during the European Middle Ages.  Students interested in stained glass, may well want to visit the Newcomb art Gallery to see the Tiffany stained glass windows that are now part of the permanent display. While not medieval, they do provide a sense of  what can be achieved in the medium. Study medieval stained glass and then note the many uses of stained glass in our own homes and buildings in order to see the Middle Ages all around us. A field trip to the glass blowers can also be a way of understanding a medieval art form and appreciating the wonder of a stained glass window. It's far better than only looking at pictures of Rose Windows Chartres, wondrous though they may be.

Herbs: Read local author Berthe Amoss' Lost Magic, a novel about a young girl who learns the art of herbal healing. Or examine a medieval cookbook whose recipes rely on herbs. Then pay a visit to the herb section in the City Park Garden. Try growing your own medieval herb garden.

Names from the Middle Ages: New Orleans and the surrounding areas have many streets, places, and businesses which bear medieval names and associations. Of course there are lots of medieval saints' names (St. Francis, St. Dominic, and St. George come to mind. There are lots of names taken from the legend of King Arthur, including "Excalibur Lawn Service." There's a tavern/restaurant named "Friar Tuck's." And let's not forget the statue of Joan of Arc. How many can you find?