The institution of marriage and the nuclear family are considered fundamental cultural elements of modern societies, so that the problems they face and the changes they undergo are considered symptoms of a crisis in society as a whole. Duby shows us how the institution of marriage, which is taken for granted today, emerged between 1000 and 1200 AD through the conflict between the perception of free union and the abduction of women practiced by warriors, and the treatment of marriage as a religious mystery promoted by the Catholic Church. The stages of this conflict coincide with profound changes in demographics, social stratification, and the organization of political power in Western Europe. With this anthropological approach and his vivid narration, the author allows the reader to understand and integrate events such as the continuous military conflicts of the nobility, the conflict between secular and religious authority, and phenomena such as courtly love and the art of troubadours into the broader framework of changes in medieval society.