Cloisters of Europe

Book excerpt: If the church is said to be the soul of an abbey, the cloister is surely its heart. As the hub of all activity, through which monks progressed from task to task and prayer to prayer, its classic layout inspired some of the most extraordinary and varied architectural treasures of the world. Covering all of western Europe between the 9th and 15th centuries, and with an enlightening introduction to the history of religious orders and devotional life, this is a magnificently illustrated monument to art, antiquity and spiritual profundity. 185 full-colour photos.