Throughout the centuries, commemoration of the events that happened at Golgotha have been given form and expression in Western European Christian tradition in two different ways: through the visual arts (architecture and sculpture) and within the liturgy. This book gives a diachronic outline of the development of the Holy Sepulchre as a central theme within the tradition of Western European Christianity. Its aim is to cover both representation and function. Two lines are followed in the study, corresponding to these two aspects. The first analyses the historical development of the Holy Sepulchre in its many manifestations from late Antiquity up to the present day, with particular attention to the cultural and historical context. This section is well illustrated with over a hundred photographs (partly in colour) and many groundplans. The second section consists of an analysis of the uses of the Holy Sepulchre throughout the centuries including a a description of the liturgical function of the Easter sepulchre during the Holy Week and Easter and its role in worship.
The final chapter presents the main areas in which various aspects of manifestations and function complement each other.