Description
Book SynopsisPresenting one thousand years of Medieval European society through its pivotal political events and representative art works, The Companion to Medieval Society is the most comprehensive and richly illustrated overview of the period to date. Offering an extraordinary historical synthesis, Franco Cardini, one of Italy''s foremost experts in medieval studies, distills a lifetime''s worth of knowledge into this compelling and accessible work. Cardini skillfully draws readers into a complex and intriguing world of diverse traditions, languages, and social groups, showcasing their representative features, differences, and their points of conflict and alliance. Over the course of time, the ruins left in the wake of the collapse of the Roman Empire were replaced by Christendom and monasticism, the feudal courts, and the reawakening of Europe''s prominent cities. Cardini debunks the oversimplification of the medieval period, illustrating a continuum of shared cultures, powerfully crystallized s
Trade Review"While it offers a comprehensive examination of the era, it's also highly accessible to the layman, and the reproductions are eye-poppingly good." The Globe & Mail
