The burial and memorial of patrons was an important aspect of monastic life in the middle ages, but one that has been neglected in the past. Both written sources and material culture bear witness to the rich sepulchral culture of the Cistercian order. Because of this rich research material, several sessions on this topic were organised at the International Medieval Congress at Leeds in 2002 and 2003. This special edition of the journal Citeaux - Commentarii Cistercienses brings together the papers from these sessions, covering a wide geographical area as well as ranging from more general to very specific themes of discussion.