600 C.E. to 1450 C.E.
Originally created by Ms. Susan M. Pojer Horace Greeley HS
Chappaqua, NY
Europe c. 200 CE
Periodization
Early Middle Ages: 500 – 1000
High Middle Ages: 1000 – 1250
Late Middle Ages: 1250 - 1500
[Renaissance Dates: 1300-1600]
Europe in the 6c
The Medieval Catholic Church (West)

Filled the power vacuum left from the
collapse of the classical world.
 Monasticism:
 St. Benedict – Benedictine Rule of
poverty, chastity, and obedience.
 Provided schools for the children of
the upper class.
 Inns, hospitals, refuge in times of war.
 Libraries & scriptoria to copy books
and illuminate manuscripts.
 Monks  missionaries to the
barbarians. [St. Patrick, St. Boniface]
The Power of the Medieval Church
 Bishops and abbots played a large part in
the feudal system.
 The church controlled about 1/3 of the
land in Western Europe.
 Tried to curb feudal warfare  only 40
days a year for combat.
 Curb heresies  crusades; Inquisition
 Tithe  1/10 tax on your assets given to
the church.
 Peter’s Pence  1 penny per person
[paid by the peasants].
A Medieval Monk’s Day
A Medieval Monastery: The Scriptorium
Illuminated Manuscripts
St. John’s
University?
Printed Psaltar
Gregorian Chant
Medieval Embroidery
The Bayeux Tapestry, 11c
Illuminated Manuscripts
Charlemagne: 742 to 814
Charlemagne’s Empire
Pope Crowned Charlemagne
Holy Roman Emperor: Dec. 25, 800
Odo of Metz.
Interior of the
Palatine
(Palace)Chapel of
Charlemagne
(Aachen, Germany),
792-805
voussoirs
modeled after San
Vitale/
Octogon/columns/
clear
structural/division
s
The Carolingian Renaissance
Carolingian Miniscule
Carolingian
Empire/Equestrian
portrait of
Charlemagne
(Metz, Germany),
early ninth century
Charlemagne’s Empire Collapses:
Treaty of Verdun, 843
Main Parts
of a Medieval Castle---Why?
Chauvigny Castle, France, 11c
Feudalism
A political, economic, and
social system based on loyalty
and military service.
Carcassonne: A Medieval Castle
Fortified
Cities
The Rise of European Monarchies:
England
Parts of a Medieval Castle
The Road to Knighthood
KNIGHT
SQUIRE
PAGE
Chivalry: A Code of Honor and Behavior
The Medieval Manor
Life on the Medieval Manor
Serfs at work
Romanesque
Cathedral
Architectural Style
 Rounded Arches.
 Barrel vaults.
 Thick walls.
 Darker, simplistic interiors.
 Small windows, usually at the
top of the wall.
Romanesque
Floor Plans
St. Filibert, France, 10c
Interior of a Romanesque
Cathedral
Pope Urban II: Preaching a Crusade
Setting Out on Crusade
Christian Crusades: East and West
Crusades Impact
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Recapture “Lost” Knowledge
Books, “Aristotle”
Mathematics –”Arabic Numerals”
Medical and Surgical Procedures
Goods, Trade and Roads Rebuilt
Architectural Ideas and Concepts
“Tourism”
Periodization
Early Middle Ages: 500 – 1000
High Middle Ages: 1000 – 1250
Late Middle Ages: 1250 - 1500
[Renaissance Dates: 1300-1600]
Vikings, Magyars, Mongols…
• Many of the Nations or
“Ethnicities” were formed during
the Middle Ages
• Germanic Tribes merged with
Norsemen, Celts, etc.
• Northern Slavs- Modern-day
Poles, Czechs, Russians, etc.
• Pagans to Roman Catholics or
Eastern Orthodox
Viking Age
• Explorers, warriors, merchants, and pirates who
raided, traded, explored and settled in wide areas
of Europe, Asia and the North Atlantic from the
late 8th to the mid-11th century.
• These Norsemen (Northmen) used their famed
longships to travel as far east as Constantinople
and the Volga River in what would become Russia,
and as far west as Iceland, Greenland, and
Newfoundland ---- (Minnesota’s Kensington
Runestone c.1364?)
• As far south as Al-Andalus Spain
• Medieval history of Scandinavia, Great Britain,
Ireland and the rest of Europe in general.
• Norsemen-Normans, Russians- Novgorod and Kiev,
Anglo-Saxons, Jutes, Danes, Swedes, etc.
Animal head post, from
the Oseberg ship burial
(Norway), c. 825, wood
“gripping beasts”
Vikings/ fusion of
interlaced pattern and
the animal form/
gruesome rituals of
human sacrifice/Odin,
Thor, and Freya/
Valhalla/ Valkyries/
Two views of the
Oseberg ship (Oslo)
Left: Wood carved
portal of the stave
church at Urnes,
Norway,
c. 1050-1070
Below: drawing of a
stave church
English Monarchies
• House of Normandy - 1066-1154
• House of Plantagenet -1154-1399
– Richard the Lionheart
– (r. 1189-1199)-Crusades-Saladin
– James I
– (r. 1199-1216)-Magna Carta
• House of Lancaster – 1399-1461
William I (r. 1066-1087)
• Change of rulers
creation of feudal
state
• Programs of building
and fortification
• Changes to the English
language
• Shift in the upper
levels of society and
the church
• Adoption of some
aspects of continental
church reform
• Modern Monarchy of
England begins
William the ConquerorNorman: Battle of Hastings,
1066 (Bayeaux Tapestry)
William the Conqueror
• To press his claim to the English
crown, William invaded England in
1066, leading an army of Normans,
Bretons, Flemings, and Frenchmen
• Victory over the English forces of
King Harold Godwinson at the
Battle of Hastings
• Suppressed subsequent English
revolts in what has become known
as the Norman Conquest
Text: Here King Harold was
slain, and the English fled.
William the Conqueror/
King Harold of England
Battle of
Hastings in 1066
Magna Carta, 1215
 King John I
 “Great Charter”
 Monarchs were
not above the law.
 Kings had to
consult a council
of advisors.
 Kings could not
tax arbitrarily.*
The Beginnings of the British
Parliament

Great Council:
 middle class merchants,
townspeople
[burgesses in Eng., bourgeoisie in Fr.,
burghers in Ger.] were added at the
end of the 13c.
 Eventually called Parliament.
 By 1400, two chambers evolved:
o House of Lords  nobles &
clergy.
o House of Commons  knights and
burgesses.
The Rise of European Monarchies:
France
All throughout Europe
Kingdoms move toward
Unification of peoples of
The Realm
Recreation of the
Roman Empire?
Reconquesta
France in the Middle Ages
•
From the death of Louis the Pious in 840 to the middle of the 15th
century. The Middle Ages in France
– West Francia (843–987) and the Viking invasions and the
piecemeal dismantling of the Carolingian Empire by local powers,
– the elaboration of the seigneurial economic system and the
feudal system of rights and obligations between lords and
vassals,
– the growth of the region controlled by the House of Capet
(987–1328) and their struggles with the expanding Norman and
Angevin regions,
– a period of artistic and literary outpouring from the 12th to the
early 14th centuries,
– the rise of the House of Valois (1328–1589), the protracted
dynastic crisis of the Hundred Years' War with the Kingdom of
England (1337–1453) and the catastrophic Black Death epidemic
(1348), and
– the expansion of the French nation in the 15th century and the
creation of a sense of French identity
“Germans”
• The English term Germans has
referred to the German-speaking
population of the Holy Roman
Empire since the Late Middle Ages.
• Holy roman Empire
• Later Kingdom of Germany and the
Holy roman empire of the
Germanic Nation
Holy
Roman
Empire
c. 1000
Holy Roman Empire c. 962-1806
• Otto I was crowned King of Germany
in 962, but he is nevertheless
considered by some to have been the
first Holy Roman Emperor
• although the Roman imperial title
was first restored to Charlemagne,
Otto was the first emperor of the
realm who was not a member of the
earlier Carolingian dynasty.
Otto I
• While Charlemagne had been
crowned Emperor in 800, his
empire had been divided amongst
his grandsons
• the Imperial title had lain vacant
for nearly forty years. On 2
February 962, Otto was crowned
Emperor of what later became the
Holy Roman Empire
Otto III r. 980-1023
•
•
•
•
•
•
Otto III (980 – 23 January
1002), a King of Germany, was
the fourth ruler of the
Saxon or Ottonian dynasty of
the Holy Roman Empire.
He was elected King in 983 on
the death of his father Otto II
and was crowned Holy Roman
Emperor in 996.
King of Germany and King of
Italy
Aachen and St. Peter’s
Basilica in Rome
Enlightened ruler?
Byzantine Empire issues?
Magyar Migrations
Stephen I of
Hungary
first King of
Hungary (r. 1000–
1038).
• He greatly
expanded Hungarian
control over the
Carpathian Basin
during his lifetime
• Broadly
established
Christianity (Roman
Catholicism) in the
region
• Considered to be
the founder of the
Kingdom of Hungary.
•1000-1918
•
Hungarian campaigns in the 10th century. Most European nations were praying for
mercy: "Sagittis hungarorum libera nos Domine" - "Lord save us from the arrows of
Hungarians"
Magyars
Stephen I
Saint in
both
Roman
Catholic
and now
the
Orthodox
Faith
The Mongols Invade Russia
Mongols, Tartars, Turks
• Migrations end in conquest even
though for some short-lived
• In time, many assimilate into the
peoples of Europe
• Each ethnic group (nation)
creates fortifications to defend
themselves from the “Barbarian
Hordes”
Medieval Universities
Oxford University
Late Medieval Town Dwellings
Medieval Trade
Medieval Guilds
Guild Hall
 Commercial Monopoly:
 Controlled membership
apprentice  journeyman  master craftsman
 Controlled quality of the product [masterpiece].
 Controlled prices
Medieval Guilds: A Goldsmith’s Shop
Crest of a Cooper’s Guild
Periodization
Early Middle Ages: 500 – 1000
High Middle Ages: 1000 – 1250
Late Middle Ages: 1250 - 1500
[Renaissance Dates: 1300-1600]
Eurasia Timeline
“Dark Ages”
Modern Age?
Late Middle Ages
•
•
•
•
the 14th century was a time of great progress within the arts and
sciences. Following a renewed interest in ancient Greek and Roman
texts that took root in the High Middle Ages, the Italian Renaissance
began.
The absorption of Latin texts had started before the 12th Century
Renaissance through contact with Arabs during the Crusades, but
the availability of important Greek texts accelerated with the
capture of Constantinople by the Ottoman Turks (1453), when many
Byzantine scholars had to seek refuge in the West, particularly Italy
The changes brought about by these developments have caused many
scholars to see it as leading to the end of the Middle Ages, and the
beginning of modern history and early modern Europe.
Some historians, particularly in Italy, prefer not to speak of the late
Middle Ages at all, but rather see the high period of the Middle Ages
transitioning to the Renaissance and the modern era.
Hanseatic League (c. 13th -17th c)
• an economic alliance of trading cities and their
merchant guilds that dominated trade along the
coast of Northern Europe.
• Stretched from the Baltic to the North Sea and
inland during the Late Middle Ages and early
modern period.
• The League was created to protect commercial
interests and privileges granted by foreign
rulers in cities and countries the merchants
visited.
• The Hanseatic cities had their own legal system
and furnished their own protection and mutual
aid. Despite this, the organization was not a citystate, nor can it be called a confederation of
city-states
Hanseatic League
Gothic Art
• Gothic period emerges from France.
A.k.a. modern art
• 12th to 14th c. and beyond
• Elegant, ornate style- Christian and
secular styles
• Guilds and artistic patronage
• Black Death 1347-1350
• The pointed arch, the ribbed vault and
the flying buttress
The Gothic Cathedral
Gothic Floor Plans
Canterbury Cathedral, England
Gothic Cathedral
Architectural Style
 Began in France in the 12c.
 Pointed arches.
 Flying buttresses.
 Stained glass windows.
 Elaborate, ornate interior.
 Taller, more airy à lots of light.
 Lavish sculpture à larger-thanlife.
Interior of a Gothic
Cathedral
Interior of a Gothic
Cathedral
St. Etienne, Bourges, late 12c
“Flying” Buttresses
Flying Buttress
Gothic “Filigree” Closeups
Chartres Cathedral,
Paris
Jamb Figures
Royal Portal
The “Pillar People”
Cathedral Gargoyles
Stained Glass Windows
 For the glory
of God.
 For religious
instructions.
Notre Dame Cathedral 1163-1240
Rose Window
Chartres Cathedral, Paris
Sacred Geometry
The good, of course, is always beautiful,
and the beautiful never lacks proportion.
--- Plato
“Rose” Windows of Various
Kinds
Original Design
Labyrinth, 1200
Buddhist Mandala
Chartres Cathedral
Plan for all Rose Windows
Which Interior Is Which?
Which Vault Is Which?
Which Cathedral Style
Is Which?
Cathedral of
Mont-Saint Michel:
A Fortress & A Church
Spanish Castle, 14c
Late Medieval
Church Art
Chalice, paten,
and straw, mid13c
Relinquary, late
12c
Late Medieval Art
 St. Francis’
Rule Approved
 Giotto
 1288-92?
 Tempera on
wood and
ground gold.
Medieval Religious
Themes
 The Epiphany
 Giotto
 1320
 Tempera on
wood and
ground gold.
The Crucifixion
 Giotto
 1305
 Tempera on
wood and
ground gold.
The Plague
The Culprits
The Famine of 1315-1317
 By 1300 Europeans were farming almost
all the land they could cultivate.
 A population crisis developed.
 Climate changes in Europe produced
three years of crop failures between
1315-17 because of excessive rain.
 As many as 15% of the peasants in some
English villages died.
 One consequence of
starvation & poverty
was susceptibility to
disease.
1347: Plague Reaches
Constantinople
From the Toggenburg Bible, 1411
Lancing a Buboe
The Disease Cycle
Flea drinks rat blood
that carries the
bacteria.
Bacteria
multiply in
flea’s gut.
Human is infected!
Flea bites human and
regurgitates blood
into human wound.
Flea’s gut clogged
with bacteria.
Medieval Art & the Plague
Medieval Art & the Plague
Bring out your
dead!
Medieval Art & the Plague
An obsession
with death.
Attempts to Stop the Plague
A Doctor’s
Robe
“Leeching”
Attempts to Stop the Plague
Flagellanti:
Self-inflicted “penance” for our
sins!
Scapegoats
Pograms against the Jews
“Golden Circle”
obligatory badge
“Jew” hat
Death Triumphant
The Mortality Rate
35% - 70%
25,000,000
dead !!!
What were the
political,
economic,
and social effects
of the Black Death??
Catholic Church Splits
• Western Schism or Papal Schism was a split
within the Catholic Church from 1378 to
1417.
• Two men simultaneously claimed to be the
true pope. Driven by politics rather than
any theological disagreement, the schism
was ended by the Council of Constance
(1414–1418).
• The simultaneous claims to the papal chair
of two different men hurt the reputation of
the office. The Western Schism is
occasionally called the Great Schism,
though this term is more often applied to
the East–West Schism of 1054
Western Schism (1378-1413)
Themes of Conflict
Controversy Over Succession
•
The French nobility selected Philip
of Valois, a cousin of the last king
through the male line.
– He founded a new French
dynasty that ruled through
the 16c.
– He was chosen in preference
to King Edward III of England,
whose mother was the
daughter of the late king,
Philip IV.
•
In 1340, Edward claimed the title
“King of France.”
Land Belonging to British Kings
• A longer standing
issue was the status of
lands within France
that belonged to
English kings.
• Edward was actually a
vassal of Philip’s,
holding sizable French
territories as fiefs
from the king of
France [it went back to
the Norman conquest 1066].
Conflict Over Flanders
The ‘dagger’ pointing
at the ‘heart’ of
England!
• Wool industry.
• Flanders wants its
independence from
French control.
• Asks England for
help.
A Struggle for National Identity
• France was NOT
a united
country before
the war began.
• The French king
only
controlled
about half of
the country.
Europe
c. 1430
The Longbow as a Weapon
•
•
•
The use of the English
defensive position was the
use of the longbow.
Its arrows had more
penetrating power than a
bolt from a crossbow.
– Could pierce an inch
of wood or the armor
of a knight at 200
yards
A longbow could be fired
more rapidly.
– 6 arrows per minute.
Early English Victories
The Effective Use of the
Cannon at Poitiers, 1356
Troubles
•
•
•
•
Peasant Revolt in 1381 was put
down by King Richard II
[r. 1377-1399].
After charges of tyranny, Richard
II was forced to abdicate in 1300.
Parliament elected Henry IV
[r. 1399-1413], the first ruler from
the House of Lancaster.
– Henry avoided war taxes.
– He was careful not to alienate
the nobility.
Therefore, a truce was signed
ending French and British
hostilities [for the time being, at
least].
A Burgundian Presence
Treaty of Troyes (1420)
•
•
•
•
Charles VI’s son [the future
Charles VII], was declared
illegitimate and disinherited.
Henry V married Catherine,
the daughter of Charles VI.
– Henry was declared the
legitimate heir to the
French throne!
A final English victory
seemed assured, but both
Charles VI and Henry V died
in 1422.
This left Henry’s infant son,
Henry VI [r. 1422-1461], to
inherit BOTH thrones.
Height of English Dominance
The French “Reconquest”
•
•
The two kings’ deaths ushered in
the final stage of the 100 Years’
War [1422-1453].
– Even though in 1428 the
military and political power
seemed firmly in British hands,
the French reversed the
situation.
In 1429, with the aid of the
mysterious Joan of Arc, the
French king, Charles VII, was able
to raise the English siege of
Orleans.
– This began the reconquest of
the north of France.
Joan of Arc (1412-1432)
• The daughter of
prosperous peasants
from an area of
Burgundy that had
suffered under the
English.
• Like many medieval
mystics, she reported
regular visions of divine
revelation.
– Her “voices” told her
to go to the king and
assist him in driving
out the English.
• She dressed like a man
and was Charles’ most
charismatic and feared
military leader
The End of the War
•
•
•
•
•
Despite Joan’s capture, the French advance
continued.
By 1450 the English had lost all their major
centers except Calais.
In 1453 the French armies captured an
English-held fortress.
– This was the last battle of the war.
There was not a treaty, only a cessation of
hostilities.
Here comes the next phase…
France Becomes Unified
France in 1453
France in 1337
600 C.E. to 1450 C.E.