A small church nestling deep in the countryside is instantly evocative. Why is it there at all? Whom does it serve? This companion volume to the author's successful titles on the smallest churches of Wales and England is a county-by-county guide to the smallest gems of Scottish ecclesiastical architecture. John Kinross provides the reader with descriptions of over 50 of the country's loveliest and most interesting churches and chapels, many of which have a fascinating history and their own unique features. These buildings deserve our attention and further study, and the book offers maps and directions on how to find these churches for those inspired to seek them out.

Following Spains democratic transition during the late 1970s, political and business elites strategically exploited Spains rich Islamic heritage in order to further projects of national redefinition, tourist promotion, and urban revitalisation. Large and ornate mosques were built in several Spanish regions, and the State granted Muslim communities an extensive array of rights and privileges that was arguably without parallel in Europe. Toward the onset of the 21st century, however, tensions surrounding Islams growing presence in Spain became increasingly common, especially in the northeastern region of Catalonia. These tensions centered largely around the presence, or proposed establishment, of mosques in Barcelona and its greater metropolitan area. This book examines how Islam went from being an aspect of Spains national heritage to be recovered and commemorated to a pressing social problem to be managed and controlled. It traces the events and developments that gave rise to this transformation, the diverse actors involved in the process, and the manner in which disputes over Muslim incorporation have become entangled with deeply-divisive debates over church-state relations and territorial autonomy. The core of the book centres on the shifting political and social dynamics surrounding the establishment of mosques, and the question of why anti-mosque mobilisations have been more prevalent and intense in Catalonia than other Spanish regions.

Most of the seven million people who visit the cathedral of Notre Dame in Paris each year probably do not realize that the legendary gargoyles adorning this medieval masterpiece were not constructed until the nineteenth century. The first comprehensive history of these world-famous monsters, "The Gargoyles of Notre Dame" argues that they transformed the iconic thirteenth-century cathedral into a modern monument. Michael Camille begins his long-awaited study by recounting architect Eugene Viollet-le-Duc's ambitious restoration of the structure from 1843 to 1864, when the gargoyles were designed, sculpted by the little-known Victor Pyanet, and installed. These gargoyles, Camille contends, were not mere avatars of the Middle Ages, but rather fresh creations - symbolizing an imagined past - whose modernity lay precisely in their nostalgia. He goes on to map the critical reception and many-layered afterlives of these chimeras, notably in the works of such artists and writers as Charles Meryon, Victor Hugo, and photographer Henri Le Secq. Tracing their eventual evolution into icons of high kitsch, Camille ultimately locates the gargoyles' place in the twentieth-century imagination, exploring interpretations by everyone from Winslow Homer to the Walt Disney Company. Lavishly illustrated with more than three hundred images of its monumental yet whimsical subjects, "The Gargoyles of Notre Dame" is a must-read for historians of art and architecture and anyone whose imagination has been sparked by the lovable monsters gazing out over Paris from one of the world's most renowned vantage points.

The ancient cathedral was the pinnacle of medieval society's spiritual and cultural life employing the best designers, artists, craftsmen and materials that available money could buy. They developed into enclaves of worship, learning, hospitality, art, music, agriculture and medicine in an often chaotic and violent outside world. A change of religion, rulers and constitution has meant they have constantly been rebuilt and altered throughout their 1,700 year history. Many will be overwhelmed by their size and beauty, baffled by their layout and symbolism. They may well ask: Why were they built here and what is so special about the site? Who were the patrons and organizations that commissioned their building? How did they raise the finance to build them? What was the purpose of a cathedral and why were they so big? Where did the design ideas come from and who were the designers? How was it built and by whom? How has it changed over the years and is it still used today? This book aims to answer these and many other frequently asked questions. Overriding themes will cover English history, architecture, building technology and religion, all written in plain English with any specialist terms being fully explained in the glossary. The book includes contemporary accounts of building work at Canterbury and Ely cathedrals, the laying of the first stone at Salisbury Cathedral, the damage done to the cathedrals, abbeys and monasteries by the Reformation and the Puritans following their victory in the English Civil Wars. There are portraits of some of the key-figures in our narrative: the working lives, wealth and training of the monks, bishops, priors, master masons and other craftsmen.