Book excerpt: The first thirteen centuries in France saw a new religion, a new language, new learning institutions and the beginnings of a great nation. The region evolved from an amalgamation of warring Gallic tribes to the most powerful kingdom in Europe and the secular arm of the Church of Rome. Much of these first centuries are unfairly regarded as The Dark Ages. There were, propitiously, redeeming periods of light during these times, strongly influenced by an ever-present Church and the will of extraordinary leaders. Many things we experience or hear about today and many places we visit are symbolic markers of the history of France during that period--they have been called ""lieux de memoire."" If you are not familiar with this history and these lieux, that should not prevent you from enjoying la belle France, but if you anchor your discovery in a historical context, your experience will be more profound and memorable. Hence this book.