This book tells the story of the late middle ages and Renaissance, the period from roughly 1000 to 1500 when Europe came back to life. At the start of this period, Europe was a backwater, with the manor the focus of life and agriculture the main economic actiivty. By the end, Europeans had rediscovered the knowledge of the Classical age and was on the verge of the Age of Exploration. The great works of Humanist philosophers and of Renaissance artists like Michelangelo and da Vinci had been prepared. The book tells this story along with more than 400 photographs taken by the author and members of his family