Beatrice Pellegatta

Pilgrim badges, also called pilgrim souvenirs are one of the most fascinating object types to survive from the medieval period. Admired for their beauty, great craftsmanship and intricate designs, these souvenirs were recovered along the River Thames, where the medieval city of London was built. During the 20^th century they became so popular that there was a mass production of them, in fact pilgrims started to show the badges on their clothes like a fashion object. For this reason, the best way to interpret this beautiful collection is to treat them like jewellery. The commercial reference I am using, as a contemporary equivalent to these medieval badges is the Danish brand: Pandora, specifically their charm collection.

‘Memento’ is located in the City of London where the remains of a medieval church, St Dunstan in-the-East, still survive. This beautiful setting has the power to take you back in time and is the perfect location to show the past (medieval collection) in conjunction with the present (commercial partner) in an aesthetic harmony. The existing church becomes the frame of the design, encompassing five themed pavilions that were inspired by the shapes of medieval houses. Built with charred-wood exterior, each pavilion has a striking interior material: lead, copper, silver and gold, taken from the original materiality of the medieval badges. On entrance, the visitors have a defined sequence of movement, passing through the pavilions to learn about evolving histories of the badges before entering the final pavilion, an experience that unites the badges of the past with Pandora’s charms of the present. Throughout ‘Memento’, the badge collection takes on the role of the protagonist and its story is told through a series of Pepper’s Ghosts (a media technique from the 1800’s), exploiting the mystery of the collection. The visit finishes with the Pandora Pavilion, a magnificent stainless steel construction where customers can personalise and purchase their own jewellery memento.