"Mullins's particular gift is that he can write about Art with a capital A from a bedrock of scholarship and insight, but in a language available to the layperson." —The Financial Times
"Mullins vividly portrays Cluny's meteoric rise, unbelievable wealth, and brilliant abbots, confidants of emperors, kings, and popes." —Adrian House, author, Francis of Assisi
"Edwin Mullins makes the stones of Cluny speak, expertly reconstructing the magnificent building and its history. The beautifully detailed narrative [is] a splendid achievement." —Ross King, author, Brunelleschi's Dome
"Mullins's Cluny is, in every way, a remarkable achievement." —Phyllis Tickle, author, The Divine Hours
"A valuable addition to a new generation of works clearing the cobwebs from our view of the medieval centuries." —Stephen O'Shea, author, The Perfect Heresy
"A labor of love, dense with recondite information lovingly chronicled and written in a lucid, aphoristic style which is a pleasure to read." —The Independent
Awarded First Place in the 2007 Catholic Press Awards for the category Best Book by a Small Publisher
One thousand years ago, the French abbey of Cluny was the hub of one of the most powerful empires of the Middle Ages and the spiritual heart of Europe. Cluny was a Benedictine monastery in Burgundy, its church a breathtaking structure of towers, roofs, walls, and windows almost 600 feet long and 100 feet high—a true wonder of the world. Reconstructing the lives, beliefs, and ambitions of Cluny's countless monks and legendary abbots, such as Hugh the Great and Peter the Venerable, this book discusses the abbey and its network of 1,500 dependent monasteries in the context of medieval European history. Exploring a monastery like no other, this historical account investigates Cluny's enduring legacy through the great cultural innovations that the abbey sponsored, from the famous medieval pilgrimage route to Santiago de Compostela to some of the most magnificent churches in all of France and England.
Edwin Mullins is an Oxford-educated writer, journalist, and filmmaker who has published numerous books on architecture and the visual arts.
History, Religion & Theology
256 pages, Cloth, 5 1/2 x 8 1/2
36 Line Drawings
Distribution Rights: US
$24.95
9781933346007 (1933346000) Pub Date: September 2006
BlueBridge