Breathtaking buildings were constructed in medieval Europe for the glory of God and the powerful clients that commissioned them. They served sacred purposes or allowed their inhabitants to withdraw from the hurly-burly of life - churches and monasteries.
A large part of this book is dedicated to Europe's religious architecture of the Middle Ages from pre-Romanesque to Gothic. It was only in the 11th century that the number of fortified castles, city palaces and other secular building began to increase. The final chapter on the secular architecture of the Middle Ages is dedicated to these buildings.
