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The word “medieval” conjures images of the “Dark Ages”—centuries of ignorance, superstition, stasis, savagery and poor hygiene. But the myth of darkness obscures the truth; this was a remarkable period in human history. The Bright Ages: A New History of Medieval Europe, co-authored by Matthew Gabriele and David M. Perry, recasts the European Middle Ages for what it was, capturing this 1,000-year era in all its complexity and fundamental humanity, bringing to light both its beauty and its horrors. In this talk, Matthew Gabriele will offer an overview of the book to show how and why events like the so-called Fall of Rome, the Crusades and Black Death resonate so deeply, even into our present day.

Matthew Gabriele is a professor of medieval studies and chair of the department of religion and culture at Virginia Tech. He is the author of the book An Empire of Memory: The Legend of Charlemagne, the Franks, and Jerusalem before the First Crusade, many articles on medieval Europe and the memory of the Middle Ages and has edited several academic volumes. His public writing has appeared in numerous newspapers and magazines, and interviews with him have aired locally, nationally and internationally.