• Southeast European history
• Post-medieval representations
• Figures of memory
• Narrative Analysis
• Cults of Saints / Hagiographies

The project explores the usage of medieval past in modern Southeast Europe, focusing on the post-medieval representations of royal sainthood since the nineteenth century. The project aims to approach the topic through a case-study of St. Prince Vladimir of Dioclea (c. 990 – 1016). The backbone of St. Vladimir's post-medieval representations is his hagiography, first published in 1601 within the Realm of the Slavs by Mauro Orbini. After 1601 his representations multiplied and spread across the region (especially in the areas of modern Albania, Bulgaria, Macedonia, Montenegro and Serbia). Crucial changes took place in the nineteenth century when Vladimir’s representations entered romantic literature, scholarly analyses and disputes as well as political discourses and their quests for legitimacy. Today, Vladimir is reinvented as an allegedly ancient tradition. However, it is difficult to speak of continuity, especially of a millennium-long continuity. By examining the saint’s post-medieval representations through a combination of memory studies approaches and narrative and discourse analysis, the project aims to contribute to the research field of royal sainthood in the Southeast Europe – a phenomenon that proved to be a powerful political, social and cultural mobilization force, both in the region and in the broader European context. The case-study of St. Vladimir appears as a good basis for approaching the topic due to the trans-national character of the post-medieval constructions related to him. Furthermore, most of the source material informing us about th saint originated in modern times without impeding the perception of him as medieval, making him a post-medieval memory par excellence.