Altare Portatile in High and Late Middle Ages. Social and Cultural Aspects between Liturgical Studies and Art History
Abstract
Portable altars (altare portatile, altare viaticum, mensale, ciborium) are a frequent part of the church treasure inventories from High and Late Middle Ages. Social and cultural aspects of their use present a specific problem, which stands between the fields of ecclesiastical law, liturgical studies and art history.
This paper deals with the contemporary and cultural context of the use of portable altars. It present an ongoing process of "privatisation" of the liturgy among the noble patrons and pays a special attention to one of the possible aspects of use - the communion of the sick and Eucharist at the sickbed, which also included the communion under both species.
The general observations are exemplified on one particular altare portatile, which is closely interconnected with the personalities of Charles IV. and Albrecht von Sternberg.