Translated with Introduction and Notes by Richard Cusimano and Eric Whitmore Suger, the twelfth century abbot of Saint-Denis, has not received the respect and attention that he deserves. Bernard of Clairvaux and Peter the Venerable have garnered more attention, and students of medieval history know their names well. In one respect, however, Suger has earned due praise, for his architectural innovations to the church of Saint-Denis made it truly one of the most beautiful churches in Europe. Students of history and architecture know Suger best for his work on Saint-Denis, the burial site of medieval French kings, queens, and nobility. The abbot enlarged, decorated, improved, and redesigned the building so beautifully that it is safe to say that he became the foremost church architect of twelfth-century France. The man, however, was so much more than an architect. He served as a counselor and member of the courts of King Louis VI and VII, who sent him across Europe on diplomatic missions. He represented those kings at the papal curia and imperial diets. He was also a close friends and confidante of King Henry I of England, whom he often visited on behalf of French royal interests. Never shy, Suger seems almost obsessed that his works and deeds not be forgotten. He acquired numerous properties and estates for his abbey, as well as improved the ones it already possessed. He built new buildings, barns, walls for villages, and increased the return of grain from all the abbey’s lands. Readers interested in the medieval agricultural system and way of life will also enjoy these texts. Suger’s texts also provide a wealth of information about the events of his era as well as a large amount of biographical material on his accomplishments. This translation of his writings intends to enhance his reputation and make his name better known by students at all levels and among those interested in medieval topics.

The turbulent career of Ruth St. Denis embraced the whole creative flux of artistic and spiritual movements in the early 20th century. Drawing on St. Denis's own diaries and letters, as well as on interviews with students and colleagues, Shelton illuminates both the tumultuos life of one of dance's most charismatic first ladies and the origins of modern dance itself.

This revised edition incorporates the additions and corrections recorded by Erwin Panofsky until the time of his death in 1968. Gerda Panofsky-Soergel has updated the commentary in the light of new material, and the bibliography that she has prepared reflects the scholarship on St.-Denis in the last three decades. She has obtained some additional and more recent photographs, and the illustrations include a new ground plan and a new section of the chevet of the Abbey Church, both drawn under the supervision of Sumner McKnight Crosby.

Hilduin (c. 785-c. 860), abbot of Saint-Denis in Paris and archchaplain to Louis the Pious, was one of the leading scholars and administrators of the Carolingian empire. He was the first to translate the mystical Greek writings of the pseudo-Dionysius into Latin; he then identified this Dionysius with the first bishop of Paris of that name, and assigned his episcopacy and martyrdom to 96 A.D. Hilduin composed a life of St Dionysius in prose and verse: the prose work has not been edited since 1580, and the verse work - a major new Carolingian Latin poem - has never before been printed. Both texts are accompanied by facing-page English translation and detailed commentary; eleven appendices contain editions of the various texts on which Hilduin drew in compiling his fictitious account of St Dionysius.

In a career that spanned more than four decades and four countries, Michel Saint-Denis - actor, director, teacher, and theorist - was a major force in 20th century theatre. In this long-overdue assessment, Saint-Denis's contribution to the stage is brought to light in vivid detail.