Jerusalem and Surrounding Region

Besançon, 1250-1300
Description de la ville de Jérusalem. France du Nord,
(Besançon, B.m., ms. 0862, f. 022v, 862)

Jerusalem is represented by a symbolic map that is quite remote from the city’s real appearance. In contrast, the sites indicated around the circular city walls are a fairly accurate geographical rendering of the pilgrimage sites, roads, and gates of access to the city. The image is simultaneously a map of the Latin kingdom of Jerusalem, a summary of the concrete experience of a pilgrimage, and a visual aid for meditating on the life of Christ.