Rurality and religion
»Rurality and religion. Places and networks of religion in rural areas of Roman Italy, Gaul, and the Northern Provinces«
In the course of refocusing on the role of the city for Graeco-Roman religion, also perspectives on “the rurification” of religion gained momentum. Against this backdrop the conference aims at a deeper understanding of spaces of religious communication and practice in rural areas of Roman Italy and the Northern provinces in order to bring them in their own value onto the map of a religious infrastructure. The conference questions the definition of ‘rural sanctuaries’ as places not located in the spatial and administrative context of a city. The aim is to integrate aspects of architectural design, the cultural and social identity of founders and worshippers, the symbolic messages conveyed through buildings and furnishings, ritual practices, and objects, among others.