Castles of the Mind: A Study of Medieval Architectural Allegory

Why does Tertullian compare virginity to a citadel? Why does Birgitta say that the Virgin Mary is like the Temple of Solomon? And why does Chaucer symbolise love and fame through a rich Gothic-style palace? All of these metaphors are part of a literary tradition that employs architecture as a symbolic structure representing a wide range of ideological systems, from fame and honour, to love and church community. Divided into two parts, this study examines the use of architecture for allegorical representation in two literary traditions which Whitehead labels Christian and classicising, dating from antiquity to the end of the Middle Ages.