Empire, Nature, and Power in the European Middle Ages

In the High Middle Ages, Western Europe underwent major transformations in agriculture, landscape, and conceptions of nature. New scientific and philosophical ideas emerged through translations from Greek, Arabic, and Hebrew, alongside a renewed concept of empire. This period reshaped understandings of both empire and nature. Examining historical-geographical, philosophical-scientific, and legislative texts, this volume demonstrates how these developments were deeply interconnected. It explores the links between cosmos and empire, knowledge and power, and natural and legal order, showing how this era redefined the relationship between political authority and representations of the natural world in Western Europe.

Michele Campopiano is Professor of Medieval History at the University of Catania. His research spans the cultural, environmental, socio-economic, and political history of Western Europe and the Middle East. Amongst his latest books is Writing the Holy Land (2020).