The Unorthodox ‘Itinerary’ of an Orthodox Bishop: Abraham of Suzdal and his Travels

This article re-examines a description of two ‘religious spectacles’ seen by Bishop Abraham of Suzdal during his visit to Florence in spring 1439, ‘a source without parallel in the history of medieval theatre’, according to one theatre historian. The article suggests that instead of an ‘itinerary’, a term commonly applied to the account, it should be read as a staging manual. The article is accompanied by a stemma of the extant manuscripts of the text and a new translation into modern English.