During the Middle Ages, London was home to one of the largest and richest merchant communities in the world. These men and their families invested heavily in fine architecture both for business and pleasure. In the first of two lectures with the theme ‘Merchants, Money and Megalomania’, Simon Thurley will unearth the lost mercantile buildings of medieval London and show how influential they were.  (ROIU Interdisciplinary class:  History - 1200-1300; History 1300-1400; may be considered for Arts & Sciences - Functional, Arts & Sciencves - Sciences, or SCA Studies - Period Life.)