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Lecture

Romanesque Art and Architecture at the Basilica of Vézelay, France

Posted by Kylie Owens for Medieval Institute
Picture of the interior of a cathedral, taken from the ceiling. Arched supports line the chamber, in white and grey stone. There are rows of wooden chairs on the floor of the chamber. At the far end is the altar, carved out of white stone and lit by sunlight coming in through windows.

Join us for a lecture by visiting scholar Christopher Kelly. He will explore the philosophical and architectural sources of Vézeley's ethereal charm and grace while celebrating the seemingly impossible architectural and artistic design.

Christopher Kelly graduated from Cambridge University with a degree in history before moving to Paris where he majored in business at the Ecole Superieure de Commerce. He worked in business in the City, London and in Paris. He then focused on the artistic and social world, including cultural projects in poor rural areas and organizing musical exchanges between France and North America. Since 2009, he has been a guide based in Vézelay, accompanying the development of the Maison du Visiteur there, creating new media for visitors and coordinating artistic and spiritual projects locally, regionally, and internationally. During Covid, he walked from Vézelay to Assisi.

A person with short grey hair smiling at the camera, wearing a blue collared shirt and a red zippered jacket.

This event is sponsored by the Alliance Française de Kalamazoo, the Department of World Languages and Literatures, the Medieval Institute (WMU), and the Chicago-Midwest Chapter of the French Heritage Society.

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Monday, Nov. 10, 2025
5 to 7:15 p.m.
Connable Room, Walwood Hall, East Campus