In this lucid and well-documented examination of nine lintels of churches in western Tuscany, all dating from the second half of the twelfth century, Dorothy Glass places the region in the context of international pilgrimage and crusade. Although it is known that Italians were settled in the Holy Land well before the first Crusade, Italian medieval art has only occasionally been addressed from this point of view.

With a seasoned eye and an extensive historical knowledge, Glass considers the iconography, style, and meaning of architectural sculpture in and around Pisa, Lucca, and Pistoia - sites at the nexus of medieval trade, travel, and pilgrimage. In addition to the art historical literature, Glass delves into such matters as the relationship between the visual arts and medieval theater, Italian settlements in the Latin East, trade routes, relics, and the revival and uses of pagan antiquity.