Gesta Romanorum: Entertaining Stories told by Monks

Step into the flickering glow of a medieval monastery, where monks gathered by the hearth to weave tales of saints and knights, hermits and sinners—stories that illuminated the path to holiness. Gesta Romanorum, a cherished gem of Christendom, emerges from the 13th and 14th centuries as a masterful collection of moralized narratives, crafted by monastic scholars to entertain and instruct.

These are no ordinary tales. Drawn from the deep wells of Sacred Scripture, saintly lives, and medieval legend, each story unfolds with vivid allegory—pitting virtue against vice, courage against temptation, and divine justice against human frailty. From the cunning of the devil to the triumph of mercy, these parables reveal the eternal drama of the spiritual life in a way that captivated the faithful centuries ago and still resonates today.

This exclusive 2025 edition from Cor Jesu Press restores the Gesta Romanorum to its original splendor. Many of the English translations—particularly those influenced by Protestant editors—diluted or removed explicitly Catholic elements, weakening its doctrinal depth.  This edition restores the work’s integrity by drawing directly from Hermann Oesterley’s 1872 critical Latin text. Where previous versions softened references to the Sacraments, the Blessed Virgin Mary, and the Church’s divine authority,
we have reinstated them, ensuring the text reflects its original theological richness.

May this faithful restoration of the Gesta Romanorum once again serve as a source of wisdom and spiritual nourishment, preserving the moral and literary heritage of Christendom.