The Sepulchre of Christ and the Medieval West

What was the impact of the tomb of Christ in Jerusalem on the history of western Europe? Colin Morris shows that the Holy Sepulchre had a vital influence on pilgrimage, the Crusades, the cult of the Cross, and art and architecture. The recovery of the Tomb was a central objective of the Crusades, and so Morris examines the emergence of hostility between Christendom and Islam.

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The tomb of Christ at Jerusalem was a vital influence in the making of Western Europe. Pilgrimage there influenced the development of society and its structures. The desire to 'bring the Sepulchre to the West' in copies or memorials shaped art and religion, while the ambition to control Christ's tomb was a central objective of the crusades. Western Europe responded to the loss of Jerusalem by creating a new pilgrimage to the East, by making kingdoms 'holy lands' for their subjects, and by creating new pilgrim centres at home. This book brings together social, political, and religious themes often considered in isolation.