← Back to Concept Index
medieval-legacy
The idea that many fundamental aspects of modern Western society—such as language, economy, technology, and political structures—originated in the Middle Ages.
1 chapter across 1 book
Travels in Hyperreality (1986)Umberto Eco
Chapter 6
The chapter examines the enduring fascination with the Middle Ages, highlighting its foundational role in shaping modern Western identity, technology, and social structures. It contrasts romanticized and scholarly approaches to medievalism, emphasizing the continuous cultural reinterpretation and bricolage of medieval themes rather than a static reconstruction. Eco proposes a typology of ten distinct visions of the Middle Ages, urging clarity about which medieval narrative is being engaged to understand its cultural and ideological implications.