The Bosom of the World. The Mountain of Eden as Empirical Quest and Spiritual Conquest

This essay looks at the idea of conquering a mountain in terms of representation, building on the quest for the Mountain of Eden as depicted by literature (Dante), travel diary (Columbus), visual arts (Giovanni di Paolo, Luca Signorelli), cartographical or philosophical codification (Le Fleurs des histoires, Tabula Cebetis). It sheds light on the intricate relations among biblical sources and empirical knowledge, pilgrimage-voyages and exploratory expeditions, physical or mental journey as expressed visually and textually by these different, and yet consistent, critical instances that have the localization and possibly conquest of the earthly Paradise at their core.