THE FOCUS OF this book is architecture and power, and the mutual relations between the two. My aim was to trace their co-existence, and how they complemented each other—by conferring significance upon one another, or accentuating each other's functions. In order to present a detailed view of the two subjects and their interconnections, I selected the seminal period between the ninth and eleventh centuries in Central Europe.

I have focused on royal power in all its grandeur, specificity, and distinctive needs. Clad in abundant ostentation and symbolism, royal power was displayed to the world in a variety of ways involving military, economic, and trade-related measures, not to mention lavish ceremonies or the choice of attire and insignia of authority. Furthermore, some occasions required a proper setting for the theatre of power to truly emerge, resound, and make an impression on its spectators and participants. By far the most enduring of all these expressions, architecture was one of the many ways of displaying power and has been a popular topic of research. On the one hand, churches and palaces were erected for utilitarian purposes as both sanctuaries and residences. Yet on the other, they offered far more, and were eagerly used to emphasize the role of their founders. Such contrivances have been known to mankind for thousands of years, and are employed until this day across the globe. The purpose of architecture is to bestow meaning, and emphasize the splendour and capacity of authority.

In order to clarify the symbolism concealed in architecture from olden days, researchers have expanded their own methodologies to include written and archaeological resources, finding themselves at the intersection of at least three fields: history, history of architecture, and archaeology. Drawing on commentaries from written sources, they can find reasons for a given building being raised, and its intention. Yet written evidence does not exist for certain parts of the world or periods of history—or if they do, they are insufficient, with archaeological relics being the only source confirming earlier human presence. Stratigraphic deposits tell the story of the length and type of human activity in a given region—whereas uncovered artefacts, including burial and building remnants, offer information on religious, economic, or trading behaviours.