Exploring Medieval Architecture: Lisa Reilly Named 2027 Slater Fellow at Durham University 

Image

Lisa Reilly, Commonwealth Professor in Architectural History at the University of Virginia School of Architecture, has been named the 2027 Slater Fellow at University College, Durham University, in Durham, England. Reilly will hold the fellowship from January through March 2027. 

Awarded to senior scholars from outside Durham University, the Slater Fellowship supports intensive research using Durham’s exceptional primary-source collections. The fellowship provides fellows with access to the university’s libraries, archives, and historic architecture, as well as opportunities to participate in seminars and scholarly exchange across the University. 

During her residency, Reilly will advance research on medieval Durham Castle that builds on her longstanding scholarly engagement with the site. Her fellowship work will support the development of a commissioned chapter on Durham and the Romanesque for the forthcoming volume The Norman Chapel in Durham Castle: Architecture, History, Conservation. Produced by the Durham Castle Research Group, the volume is anticipated to appear in early 2028, published by the Institute of Medieval and Early Modern Studies (IMEMS) Press, an imprint of Boydell and Brewer.    

“The Slater Fellowship offers a set of ideal circumstances as I prepare my next publication on medieval Durham, enabling sustained engagement with the sites, collections, and scholarly community that are essential to this work.” 

—Lisa Reilly, UVA Commonwealth Professor in Architectural History
 

Image

Reilly’s chapter will expand on themes explored in her book The Invention of Norman Visual Culture: Art, Politics, and Dynastic Ambition (Cambridge University Press, 2020), in which Durham serves as a key case study for understanding how Norman rulers used architecture, ritual, and visual culture to assert political legitimacy. Through the Slater Fellowship, Reilly will broaden her earlier work on Durham Cathedral to include focused study of the chapel and early castle, situating the site within a wider discussion of medieval architecture, power, and dynastic ambition. 

The fellowship will allow Reilly to work closely with scholars affiliated with the Durham Castle Research Group, the Institute of Medieval and Early Modern Studies, and the Heritage Local and Global Research Cluster. She will also engage with the UNESCO and Durham World Heritage Site Group and has been invited to participate in planning discussions for Durham’s forthcoming exhibition and public programming initiatives. Together, these collaborations support current research, interpretation, and conservation efforts at one of the world’s most significant medieval sites. 

A leading scholar of medieval visual culture, Reilly’s research examines art and architecture across the Norman world in France, England, and Sicily. In addition to her work on Norman architecture, she is currently coauthoring a Corpus Vitrearum volume on the stained glass of St. Michael le Belfrey and has been a pioneer in applying digital humanities methodologies to architectural history research. 

The School of Architecture congratulates Professor Reilly on this distinguished international fellowship. 

Image