This collection of essays resulting from the conference on Abbo that took place at Orléans and Saint-Benoît-sur-Loire 10–12 June 2004 deepens and broadens an understanding of Abbo's writing and his influences on Benedictine monasticism. The collection also provides considerable insight into social, political and religious realities before, during and after Abbo's lifetime. An introduction by Pierre Riché contrasts the more famous Gerbert d'Aurilllac (Sylvester ii), ‘le pape de l'an mil,’ with his contemporary Abbo, equally important intellectually but less well known historically, who often opposed Gerbert, though both prelates shared a love of literature and science. The volume not only augments and corrects the historical record but also provides a new impetus to the study of Abbo. The first six essays explore aspects of late tenth-century monastic life through physical remains such as architecture and manuscripts and through evidence related to monastic reform and the murder of Abbo. The last two chapters of part i introduce a theme that permeates the longer second section: the centrality and elusiveness of an understanding of the ‘temporal’ for Abbo. The second section encompasses diverse topics related to Abbo's interests and preoccupations: astronomy, the Benedictine Rule, canon law, computus, cosmology, ecclesiology, geometry, hagiography, history, music, philosophy and politics. Permeating some of these essays are questions concerning right relationships between spiritual and temporal realms and, more concretely, between monasteries and other social and political structures. Several essays address evidence that contributes to a larger understanding of Abbo and his abbacy at Fleury, such as a study of literary style – especially rhyming prose – in writings associated with Fleury, and of colour in manuscripts produced at Fleury between the eighth and twelfth centuries. In a concluding essay Jacques Dalarun names a goal of the collection: to extend the somewhat dismissive characterisation of Abbo as ‘un polygraphe remarquable’ to include a greater appreciation of his accomplishment as a teacher and a reformer. Louis-Marie Gantier osb notes Abbo's and his contemporaries' wisdom unified by a pursuit of symbolic associations and analogies (‘une sagesse unifiée en quête d'associations et d'analogies symboliques’) and contrasts that with our culture's embrace of narrow specialisation. The volume as a whole provides a glimpse of the richness of historical and cultural study possible when scholars approaching a subject from a wide range of specialised expertise collaborate to extend our understanding. Many essays conclude with valuable appendices providing data or illustrations to further elucidate points made in the author's analysis.