VISUAL DIAGRAMS SPECULUM THEOLOGIAE AND MEDIEVAL ART OF MEMORY

The article focuses on the Speculum theologiae miniatures, a distinctive collection of instructional illustrations that played a significant role in Catholic education from the 13th to 15th centuries. These illustrations feature a blend of abstract designs, such as tables and circular diagrams, alongside specific imagery including celestial beings like cherubs and seraphs, as well as trees and towers. Notably, many of these illustrations were created by Franciscan monks, suggesting their dual purpose: as tools for organizing and systematizing the creed and as mnemonic aids for sermons. The report aims to illustrate how these visual tables can serve as effective mnemonic guides for sermons, drawing on the recommendations for preachers found in Artes Praedicandi and analyzing specific miniatures from the Speculum theologiae. Additionally, the research will examine the influences of figures such as Hugo of Saint Victor, whose speculative reasoning, and Ramon Llull, known for his diagrams in The Great Art, have shaped the iconography and logic of certain illustrations in the Speculum theologiae. The research presented in the article involves reading and translating for the first time into Russian the tables from this manuscript, accompanied by an analysis of how the forms, images, and texts within the illustrations interact with one another. The study of visual diagrams opens a broad range of scholarly inquiries. However, there is a notable lack of comprehensive works that explore and analyze the diagrams of the Mirror of Theology, both in Russian and in the wider field of international historiography. This gap highlights the relevance and importance of the chosen topic for further academic exploration.