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Westminster Abbey: The Cosmati Pavements

Grant, Lindy

Westminster Abbey's two stunning Cosmati pavements, one before the High Altar and the other in the Confessor's chapel, are remarkable works of 13th-century art and vision. These six papers, from a conference held in London in 1998, approach the pavements from all perspectives - archaeology, art history, conservation and history. A principal aim of the study is to answer the question of why Henry II had these pavements which were constructed from fragments of ancient Roman buildings, brought to England from Italy. Contributors examine the history of luxury pavements in England; political context; the construction of the Sanctuary pavement; condition and conservation; the inscription, which predicts the end of the world; the significance of the reuse of Roman mosaics and monuments in the Middle Ages. Contributors: Christopher Norton, David Carpenter, Richard Foster, Nicholas Furham, David Howlett, Paul Binski. 141p, 42 col pls, 2 col illus (Courtauld Institute Research Papers 3, Ashgate 2002)

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