'Intersexuality in pictures' | OProM & RECEPTIO

INTERSEXUALITY IN PICTURES: GENDER FLUIDITY IN MEDIEVAL ILLUMINATED MANUSCRIPTS
(2021–2026)
A multidisciplinary investigation into gender fluidity in medieval visual culture, literature, and thought

This long-term project explores how intersexuality, androgyny, and non-binary identities were represented and conceptualised in the Middle Ages, both in visual sources—particularly illuminated manuscripts—and in textual traditions.

Launched in 2021, the project is structured in two phases:

Phase I (2021–2023): supported by a Zürich-based funding body (Stiftung für wissenschaftliche Forschung an der Universität Zürich)
Phase II (2022–2026): carried out within the framework of RECEPTIO, under the direction of the OProM

The aim is to provide evidence that gender fluidity is not a modern invention, but rather a persistent and complex cultural presence in Western history. Through the analysis of texts and images, the project deconstructs binary assumptions and highlights diverse expressions of identity.

Print Publications (2023-2025)

Intersessualità in Immagini, in: Theory and Criticism of Literature and Arts, vol. 7, no. 2 (2023). Link: https://www.isfida.eu/vol-7-nr-2-2023
L’Androginia nella Commedia, proceedings of the international workshop (Lugano, May 2024), in: Theory and Criticism of Literature and Arts, vol. 8, no. 1 (2024). https://www.isfida.eu/vol-8-nr-1-2024
Intersessualità in Immagini. Fluidità di genere nei codici miniati medievali, Miscellanea di studi a cura di M. Cittadini e C. Rossi, Alta Formazione Editrice, 2025 (links: https://nouveautes-editeurs.bnf.fr/accueil?id_declaration=10000001180109&titre_livre=INTERSESSUALIT%C3%80_IN_IMMAGINI__FLUIDIT%C3%80_DI_GENERE_NEI_CODICI_MINIATI_MEDIEVALI ).

All publications are peer-reviewed and indexed in specialist portals and library catalogues, including major European institutions such as the Bibliothèque nationale de France. The book is available on Amazon and through global distributors.

Media, Database & Outreach

Open-access image database

A continuously updated visual database collects and classifies medieval iconography related to intersex, androgynous, and non-binary figures. The database is structured in thematic sections (e.g. Saints and Martyrs, Christ Figures, Literary and Allegorical Bodies, Gender Ambiguity) and includes explanatory video guides for each section.

BROWSE THE IMAGES

Explore the database

Workshop (video recordings below)
Public engagement at Pride (2024 & 2025):
The project was officially presented at the Milano Pride in 2024 (and is going to be presented in 2025), with a focus on specific themes aimed at engaging directly with LGBTQIA+ audiences. The objective isto show that gender fluidity is a historically rooted phenomenon. In medieval theology, mysticism, and iconography, fluid or non-binary identity was not necessarily stigmatised. On the contrary, it gave rise to rich narratives and representations:
androgynous and intersex saints
a fluid and maternal Christ, both mater et pater
images and theological texts that describe God as both mother and father

These findings challenge the misconception that medieval Christianity rigidly enforced binary gender norms, and instead highlight a more nuanced and at times inclusive vision of divine and human identity.

Next Steps
International conference planned for July 2026, marking the conclusion of the project
Publication of a second monograph and a digital exhibition catalogue
Integration of findings into broader Gender and Visuality initiatives within RECEPTIO and the OProM