T. Teresa of Ávila – reformer, foundress, mystic – was also one of the most traveled women of her day, all for the sake of that "divine adventure" to which God and the church called her.
Her Carmelite reform movement began simply enough. Teresa's dream was to have just one poor convent where a small group of dedicated women could lead a life of prayer and community at the service of the Lord and his church. But the spark caught fire. Soon the enthusiasm for this new way of life caught on, and Teresa was invited to establish as many similar foundations as she could.
With lively details, Teresa recounts her travels and the events and people connected with them in her Book of the Foundations. Her founding venture – Teresa personally established seventeen Discalced Carmelite monasteries for women and two for men – took twenty years, from Ávila in 1562 to Burgos in 1582. She covered thousands of miles, crisscrossing Spain by covered wagon or on muleback, challenged by all kinds of weather, poor health, and opposition – all while attending with a mother's care and an entrepreneur's savvy to the details of each new Carmel, from personnel to location.
As we read the Foundations, we can imagine the events, places, and things Teresa describes. This unique volume goes further. Filled with hundreds of color photographs, maps, charts, and historic artwork, it enables the reader to travel with Teresa – both to Spain's most breathtaking sites and to her first Carmels – and see the places touched by her life and holiness. If you're fortunate to visit Spain, this is an ideal guidebook to the land of St. Teresa. Or, if yours is an armchair pilgrimage, it makes a fascinating companion volume to the Foundations.