The study deals with visual communication in medieval women's convents. Methodologically inspired by the theory of systems, the author develops a scheme of interpretation of images and objects suitable for the needs of historical (and not arthistorical) research. This scheme is used to explore the relations between the women's convents and ecclesiastical instances, religious ordes, other religious convents and the laity. In order to estimate the quality and the development of those relations thoroughly, the book is designed as a long-term study, dealing with the time between the late tenth and the early sixteenth century. For the same purpose, different forms of women's religious life are compared. Special attention is paid to five main subjects remarkably important for the development of visual communication in women's convents: learning / eruditeness, the liturgical drama in Easter time, eucharistic devotion, profane subjects as well as contemplation