The fall of acre as a spiritual crisis: The letters of Riccoldo of Monte Croce

This article discusses the five letters penned by Riccoldo of Monte Croce in response to the fall of crusader Acre in 1291. These letters, while evidencing an individual religious crisis, are discussed within a wider context. They reveal a complex attitude towards Islam, which is based on a close personal knowledge of the Muslim world. They should also be seen as part of an emerging awareness of the irreversibility of the loss of the Holy Land in 1291 and the futility of Christian battle against Islam in the East. It is argued that the acknowledgement of failure on the missionary and military fronts plays a part in a meaningful shift towards a more restless and critical religious attitude.