Includes bibliographical references (p. [237]-239) and index.

A 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, 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.--From publisher description.

The long shadow of the past -- A hunting lodge in a secluded valley -- The stonemasons from Italy -- A white mantle of churches -- Hugh the Great -- Spanish excursions -- Power and politics -- Rural peace--and holy war -- Looking towards England -- The greatest church in Christendom -- Daily life at Cluny -- Vanitas vanitatis -- Peter the Venerable -- Battling Bernard of Clairvaux -- Henry the King and Henry the Bishop -- H�elo�ise and Abelard -- Genius in stone -- Decline and fall.