Beyond the Frontiers of Latin Christendom: The Avignon Papacy and the East.

How did the Western Christendom perceive the world beyond its own frontiers in the Late Middle Ages? What ideas were shaped by the Papal entourage with respect to non-Catholic and non-Christian populations? What body of knowledge regarding the Eastern lands was circulating in Western Europe? This research conjugates the history of the Papal Curia and the history of East-West relations in the Late Middle Ages, investigating the formation and circulation of ideas about the partes Orientis within a chief cultural center of Western Europe such as the Papal Court of Avignon (1309-1377). The study emphasizes the role of the Curial intellectual contributions, regarding them as a significant think-tank where the image of Byzantines, Armenians, Saracens, and Mongols, was shaped and theorized. The writings of theologians, jurists, legates, missionaries, and travelers, who had a direct influence on debates held in the Provencal city are essential tools for investigating the reception of non-Catholic, non-properly-Catholic, and non-Christian populations, providing a comprehensive overview on the intellectual reaction of Western Christendom to the opening of transcontinental horizons long before the European expansion to the New Indies.