Daily life depicted in the Cantigas de Santa Maria

The hundreds of illuminated miniatures found in the Cantigas de Santa Maria, centered around the miracles of the Virgin Mary and sponsored by King Alfonso X (1252-84), reveal many vistas of daily life in thirteenth-century Spain. No other source provides such an encyclopedic view of all classes of medieval European society, from kings and popes to the lowest peasants. Men and women are seen farming, hunting, engaging in war, going on pilgrimage, watching bullfights, gambling, making love, tending silkworms, eating, cooking, and writing poetry. Placing the cantigas in the context of medieval life, the authors have grouped the illuminations by theme and introduce each section with commentary on the illustrations that follow.