The Cistercian order enjoyed a close relationship with the people of Wales, but what role did they play in the development and proliferation of Welsh language and culture? The border monasteries of central-eastern Wales were sited in a melting pot of ideas and peoples, how did that impact the architectural development of their Abbeys or genres of literature and poetry they chose to patronage? These are the questions this lecture looks to explore. Through material culture, archaeology and the surviving monastic architecture, and through monastic manuscripts, we will dive into the world of Welsh Cistercian culture and discuss how the multi-layered identity of the Cistercians in Wales influenced their most lasting legacies.
Amy Reynolds is a final year PhD researcher at Bangor University, exploring the relationship between the Cistercian order and Welsh society in central-eastern Wales. Her other avenues of research, on which she has published, include female monasticism and the church in mid-Wales. Amy has worked in public history and museums in Wales for many years and is currently part of the curatorial team at Denbighshire Heritage Services
To view a recording of this talk