Kristjan Toomaspoeg. The Teutonic Order in Italy, 1100–1525: Building Bridges in the Medieval World. The Military Religious Orders: History, Sources, and Memory 11. London: Routledge, 2024. 216 pp. ISBN: 978-1-032-15347-6.

The military orders of the Middle Ages are without a doubt a kind of phenomenon.Originating from the time of the Crusades to the Holy Land, they are strongly tied to the complexity of high medieval society -its mentality, worldview and overall people's way of living.This unique form of social organization provided a new, quite refreshing approach to spirituality and religious practice.Colloquially termed "warrior-monks", the military orders had proven to be quite an effective force not only on the battlefields, but also on the field of establishing socio-cultural connections throughout the Christian world.The societal impact of the military orders' activity was undoubtably significant, the local foundations frequent, and donations hefty.The Teutonic Order was by no means an exception to this.It was an international institution that created a wide network of social ties throughout Christendom.The Teutonic Order's presence in the Italian Peninsula, although numerically small, has indeed made an impact on the local society in many ways.Even if oftentimes overshadowed by the legacy of the two bigger contenders in the region, the Templars and the Hospitallers.The activities of the Teutonic Order in Italy are the subject of study in the reviewed volume, authored by Kristjan Toomaspoeg, a professor of medieval history at the university of Salento in Lecce, Italy.He is a renowned expert in the history of medieval military orders in Italy, especially The Teutonic Order in many aspects: diplomacy, religiosity, economy, prosopography, as well as art and architecture related to them.The focal point of Toomaspoeg's book is to present a perspective on the Teutonic Order's presence in the Italian Peninsula as a sort of bridge -an intermediary between different realms of the Christian world, cultures and social classes.The author offers a deep insight into many fields such as politics, commerce, society and social mobility, art, and notable individuals.The content is presented as a cohesive summary of earlier studies, as well as a well-balanced monograph.Handling the topic as a whole is surely a welcome addition to the overall studies on medieval military orders.