From the earliest centuries of Christianity, the cult of saintly relics has been an important feature of the worship of the Church. This book explores the way in which church architecture has been shaped by holy bones - the physical remains or 'relics' of those whom the Church venerated as saints.

From the earliest centuries of Christianity, the cult of saintly relics has been an important feature of the worship of the Church. This book explores the way in which church architecture has been shaped by holy bones--the physical remains or "relics" of those whom the Church venerated as saints. This is the first complete modern study of this aspect of medieval church architecture in western Europe.

Scholarly and comprehensive, the book combines a literary as well as an archaeological approach, and includes many useful ground plans and photographs by the author ... the depth and clarity of his research will reward specialists and students of the subject.