Mary was also the subject of more love poems during this time period than any other woman, and imagery surrounding her figured mightily into Dante's Divine Comedy. It was through the Divine Comedy that Dante first coined a famous description for Mary's face, stating that it was “the face that most resembled Christ.”

This idea that by peering into the face of Mary one might able to glimpse her son powerfully influenced both the art and theology of the day. Increasingly, artistic images (such as the Black Madonna images, which you will learn more about in Chapter 19) demonstrated the startling resemblance between the mother and her child. In these images, both mother and son were carved from a single block of wood and their resemblance was undeniable.

During the Middle Ages, Mary often seemed more accessible than Christ. For peasants, her femininity would have provided some continuity with the ancient goddesses they worshipped and prayed to as they tilled their fields. For the ranks of celibate monks, the presence of Mary as a “safe” woman in their lives might have fulfilled some need for female companionship — the famed Saint Francis of Assisi, for example, adored the Virgin Mary. Just as his monastic life called him to take vows of poverty and chastity, Saint Francis found a positive way to interpret these restrictions. Instead of viewing his life in terms of deprivation, he saw himself as united to these values in the way that a married person might be united to their spouse. Specifically, he felt a particular closeness with Mary, whom he thought of as his Lady, “Holy Poverty.”