A journey back in time, in search of an innovative interpretation of the millennial path of the history of art and architecture. Beyond the shapes, the beauty and the structural complexity of the great medieval architectures, this volume brings us back to the original meaning of the buildings that symbolize the Western tradition. It is an unprecedented and fascinating portrait of the history of art, the one drawn by Paolo Piva and by the Italian and German scholars involved in the project, with the aim of faithfully restoring the context in which architectural works such as the great cathedrals were born, and at the same time the intentions of the builders, artists and clients who made them.