Und Barbarossa weinte

The troubadour Baudolino reminisces about his dearly beloved Empress Beatrix of Burgundy (circa 1144 - 1184). This historical novel is well-researched and written with such sensitivity and eloquence that readers are immersed in the world of the Middle Ages. In dreams and nightmares, they partake in the life of the young queen, witnessing her coronation, the wedding night, knightly tournaments, and her coming of age. They travel with her across the Alps, engage in devastating wars, and experience victories and defeats. The music of the Staufer era resonates, children are born, the ancient verses of the Nibelungen and the Song of Roland come to life, and Beatrix's friends, Bernard of Clairvaux and Hildegard of Bingen, weave their words into the pages of the book.