Recommended readings prior to walking Le Puy route?

[mcmanamy5]

We leave May 4 for 2 weeks starting from Le Puy. Any readings people recommend on the geography, history or culture in that area of France?

 

[Kitsambler]

on the geography, history or culture in that area of France?

Choose your era of interest:
*** Cluny: In Search of God's Lost Empire (Edwin Mullins) source of the funds that built most pilgrimage infrastructure
A Distant Mirror (edited) (Barbara Tuchman) France in the late Middle Ages
The Hundred Years War - the English in France . for the hill towns past Cahors
French Revolution - source of the defacing and destruction of churches

*** Early Medieval Architecture (Oxford History of Art) (Roger Stalley) what is it I'm looking at, and why

 

[MichaelC]

Barbara Tuchman's book was amazing ... but I think the exact title was "A Distant Mirror."

If you're open to podcasts, I'd highly recommend the BBC episode The 12th Century Renaissance from the In Our Time series. It's amazing how much of the Camino architecture comes from that period.

A longer (six hours!) podcast would be Dan Carlin's The Celtic Holocaust. It details Caesar's war against the Celts in Gaul, from the perspective of the Celts. There's not much

(and I've just added the Cluny book to my wishlist - it sounds great.)

 

[Kanga]

@mcmanamy5 it is an absolutely lovely Camino. Enjoy!

 

[Camino Chrissy]

Choose your era of interest:
*** Cluny: In Search of God's Lost Empire (Edwin Mullins) source of the funds that built most pilgrimage infrastructure
A Distant Empire (Barbara Tuchman) France in the late Middle Ages
The Hundred Years War - the English in France . for the hill towns past Cahors
French Revolution - source of the defacing and destruction of churches

*** Early Medieval Architecture (Oxford History of Art) (Roger Stalley) what is it I'm looking at, and why

@Kitsambler, you are one sharp tool in the box!

 

[kelleymac]

The Abacus and the Cross: The Story of the Pope Who Brought the Light of Science to the Dark AgesDec 7, 2010 | Unabridged
by Nancy Marie Brown and Suzanne Toren

It comes in audio too. It's the story of a Gerbert of Aurillac (north of Conques) about the year 950 who rises within the church to found universities and become pope. It is a magnificent and fascinating windows into the emerging medieval world. There is a section on Conques and St. Foi as well.

 

[Camino Chrissy]

@Kitsambler, you are one sharp tool in the box!

That goes for you too, Tom.

 

[jayree]

We leave May 4 for 2 weeks starting from Le Puy. Any readings people recommend on the geography, history or culture in that area of France?

A great account of one person's walk in this area is "A Way: The Story of a Long Walk" by Jenna Smith. It is very favorably reviewed on Amazon.
https://www.amazon.ca/dp/1496054148/?tag=santiagodec0b-20

The thread on this site is
https://www.caminodesantiago.me/com...y-the-story-of-a-long-walk.26756/#post-217155

 

[mcmanamy5]

Wow! What a lot of good suggestions! I best get cracking!
Thank you to all of you.

 

[javaqueen601]

Hi, Looking for interesting books to read on the history and culture of for this region before I walk at the end of July.I would love any suggestions!Thanks!