ABSTRACT
This introduction presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in the subsequent chapters of this book. The book presents a narrative of the lives of the men and women of one family of medieval lords: The Beaugencys. It considers the physical environment in which the Beaugencys lived. The Beaugency family, while noble, only rose as far to attain the rank of regional lord. It was also deeply enmeshed in the church. The men and women were generous ecclesiastical patrons, supported reform of the church, participated in crusades and some joined the church as monks or nuns. The Beaugencys also used marriage to extend their power and boost their social or political standing. Their political and family ties thus drew the Beaugencys into some of the headline events of the eleventh, twelfth and thirteenth centuries. The examination of medieval life will be organized into concentric, overlapping, and circles.
