Introduction

The Church in Europe in the High Middle Ages had a strong sense of its mission and purpose. Scene 1 shows the routes of the first four Crusades, when armies gathered from across Europe to invade the Middle East and attempt to win back the Holy Land for Christendom. Scene 2 depicts the renewed impetus of monasticism under the Cistercian rule. Cistercian monasteries were spread throughout the countryside of Europe and farmed much arable land. Scene 3 shows the pilgrimages taken by Margery Kempe, which were many of the most popular pilgrimage routes in Europe.