Landscapes and Environments of the Middle Ages

'This book provides us with a fascinating insight into medieval perceptions of landscape, enriched with a great diversity of literary and pictorial evidence. In hearing about the communities who occupied these places, and the people who travelled through them, we can see that landscape is not just a physical entity, but a mental construct –"realms real and imagined".'

Stephen Rippon, University of Exeter, UK

'This fascinating and wide-ranging volume takes the reader on a journey through the real and imagined landscapes of the Middle Ages – from the enchanted forests of northern Europe myth to the bustling port towns around the Mediterranean. It explores in detail the physicality of different environments in the period, using archaeology, material culture, art and both literary and historical texts to bring to life the huge range of landscapes which medieval people experienced in their daily lives.

The thematic chapters are filled with rich details about trade and pilgrimage, movement, power and the natural world – the details drawn from texts originating from across Europe, the Middle East, Africa and Asia. This book gives us an insight into the power that different environments had to shape people’s lives across the globe during this period, and in turn, how people shaped those environments, both real and imaginary, to reflect their changing worldviews and experiences. A vital and immersive book for students and anyone interested in environmental change, the natural world and the medieval period.'

Sarah Spooner, University of East Anglia, UK