Learning about Christianity in the Middle Ages by Examining the Structure of Medieval Cathedrals:
A DBQ
Lisa Blackmore
Secondary History Methods
Sharon Murray
October 31
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Teachers Only:
Table of Contents
1.
Teachers Only..........................................................................................................................3
2.
To Get You Thinking.................................................................................................................4
3.
Setting......................................................................................................................................5
4.
Enrichment...............................................................................................................................5
5.
Investigation............................................................................................................................6
6.
SOURCE PACKAGE #1: Basilicas: Roman or Christian?..............................................................7
7.
SOURCE PACKAGE #2: Romanesque Architecture...................................................................12
8.
SOURCE PACKAGE #3: External Pictures of Medieval Cathedrals.............................................14
9.
SOURCE PACKAGE #4: Architectural symbolism......................................................................17
10.
SOURCE PACKAGE #5: Symbolism in Art.................................................................................28
11.
Conclusion..............................................................................................................................29
12.
Appendix................................................................................................................................30

This DBQ relies heavily on images, and focuses on Chartres Cathedral (which is located just outside of
Paris, France) to answer the question: What do medieval cathedrals tell us about the nature of the
Church in the Middle Ages?
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This DBQ is designed for students of grade 10 history, and addresses Standard 3 of Unit 5: The Middle
Ages: Collapse and Recovery, which reads as follows: Students should be able to explain the role of religion in medieval Europe.
It also corresponds with a suggested student activity, in which students select one or more examples of
Christian art or architecture and identify the values and world view represented by the selection(s).
Before embarking on this DBQ, students should already have a “feel” for the time period, and be familiar with some of its structures, ie. the feudal system.
After completing this DBQ, students will:
A.
Learn how to interpret an architectural structure.
B.
Be able to identify symbolism in medieval art and architecture.
C.
Note that the medieval church established a great deal of continuity with ancient Rome.
D.
See how the Church used pictures, statues, and architectural structures to transmit the Christian narrative and theological tenants to illiterate parishioners. View medieval Christianity through the eyes of a peasant.
E.
Note the power imbalance between the Church and the laymen (The Church found power in both its wealth and its spiritual authority. If you defied them on earth, they had the power to make sure you paid for it in the afterlife).
To Get You Thinking:

Setting:
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Different buildings have different purposes. Every building has architectural features that make it suitable for the purpose it was designed for. Think about your home: it has a kitchen, a living room, a bathroom, and several other rooms that make it a comfortable and practical place to be. It has windows to let in the light, and most likely, it contains furniture and decorations that are an expression of who your family is and what their needs are. If you go into your room, you have posters on the wall, and knickknacks on your dresser—things that express what is important to you. Your home is very different than a baseball stadium, which is designed around a central focus (watching a baseball game), and contains seating for thousands of people, as well as special areas for the players to prepare for the game. Sometimes buildings are not only being practical, but they are making a statement as well. Think about the high-tech buildings at the Olympics in Beijing. They did not need to be that complex in order to fulfill their function, but the architects (or those who told the architects what to do) wanted to show how technologically advanced China was becoming. On a smaller scale, many stores tailor what image they want to present in order to advertise or convince customers to come there. In a group, examine the following pictures, and ask yourself the following questions:
1.
What architectural features did you notice that showed you what these buildings are designed to do?
2.
Are any of these buildings trying to “make a statement?” If yes, what architectural features did you notice that made you answer this way?

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Surprisingly, the Middle Ages wasn’t all that different when it comes to making statements with architecture. Of course, if you didn’t have any extra money kicking around, you weren’t going to even so much as try to make a statement with architecture. But, for those who did have money, this was a very valid option. The Catholic Church did have a lot of money in those days, and massive churches and cathedrals that are scattered around Europe are a testament to that.
For a brief introduction to what a cathedral is, read the following article:
“A cathedral is any church where a bishop has his headquarters. No matter how big a church is, if there's no bishop working in it, then it's not a cathedral. For instance, the cathedral of Laon in northern France lost its bishop when the town got smaller, and now it is only a church. And the church of Toulouse, even though it is a big beautiful church, never had a bishop, so it was never a cathedral. But most really big medieval churches in Europe are cathedrals.
Most famous medieval cathedrals are in Europe (where the Christians were), and they were built between about 1000 and 1600 AD. There are cathedrals all over Europe, in Spain, in England, in France, in Germany, and in Italy.
The architecture of cathedrals is based on the old Roman basilica. The earliest Christian churches were a lot like Roman basilicas. But cathedrals are bigger and higher than the biggest Roman basilicas. The earliest medieval cathedrals were built in the Romanesque style, and the later ones (beginning about
1100 AD) were built in the Gothic style. You'll find some examples of Romanesque and Gothic cathedrals on the Romanesque and Gothic pages.
Cathedrals were where Christian people in medieval Europe went to pray to God, and also where they took communion and talked to their priests. People also went to cathedrals to get married, or for baptisms or funerals. In the Middle Ages, most cathedrals did not have chairs in them, as they do today, and people stood or walked around during the Mass, or knelt on the stone floor to pray.
But cathedrals were not only for religious ceremonies. When bishops or lords or kings had important things to say to a group of people, they generally met in the cathedral, which was the biggest place in town that was inside, out of the cold and rain.” http://www.historyforkids.org/learn/medieval/history/history.htm
Enrichment:
Divide students into groups, and have them go to the following site: http://www.historyforkids.org/ learn/medieval/history/history.htm
. It is logically divided into sections, and each group of students could choose a section and do story path activities based on their section.
Investigation:

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Keep this question in mind as you view the following photos/documents:
What do medieval cathedrals tell us about the nature of the Church in the Middle Ages? In other words, what kind of statements are these Cathedrals making?
SOURCE PACKAGE #1: Basilicas: Roman or Christian?

This is a Christian church building before Christianity became the official religion of the Roman Empire. It is also known as the Dura Europos House Church. Most
Christian churches at that time looked like synagogues (because Christianity began as a Jewish sect). They didn’t want to draw any attention to themselves because Christians were sometimes persecuted.
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This is a building in the Roman Empire. It was known as the basilica Julia because it was built by Julius Caesar around 50 BCE. Basilicas were public places where court cases were heard and where a market was located. Notice the big columns and the part that is long and narrow, like a city street.

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This is a Christian church building built by the Emperor Constantine, who legalized
Christianity in Rome. It is known as Old St. Peter’s Basilica, because it was rebuilt about 500 years ago.

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In what way did Roman architecture influence Christian architecture? How are they different? Does the Roman basilica look bigger than the house church? Hint:
Compare the sizes of the people in the pictures. Constantine was the first one to add transepts to the basilica. What shape does it look like with the transepts

11 added? Think of some words to describe how the statements made by the church building before affiliation with the Roman Empire differ from the statements made by the later church building.

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SOURCE PACKAGE #2: Romanesque Architecture
Read either of the following articles:
“The Romanesque style is called that because it is a little like Roman architecture, but it is made around 1000-1200 AD instead of during the Roman Empire.
Between the time of Charlemagne (about 800 AD) and the beginning of
Romanesque two hundred years later, people had built practically no big new buildings. Everybody was too busy fighting each other and trying to get enough to eat, and they were too poor to build anything fancy. But by about 975, things were beginning to settle down, and by 1000 kings and queens like William the
Conqueror were beginning to order important, stone buildings again, like St.
Germain des Pres in Paris.
Mostly castles and churches are built in the Romanesque style. You can see
Romanesque buildings all over France, England, Italy, and Germany, and in northern Spain (the part that was not taken over by the Umayyads).
Some examples of Romanesque buildings are the Women's Abbey and the Men's
Abbey in Caen, France, both built around 1050 AD. Just a little later, you have the cathedral and baptistry of Pisa, Italy, built about 1060 and 1150 AD, the church of
St. Sernin in Toulouse (1080 AD), and the baptistry of Florence, Italy, built around
1100 AD.
Romanesque buildings were made of stone, but often had wooden roofs because people were still not very good at building stone roofs yet. If they did have stone roofs, the walls had to be very thick in order to hold up the roofs, and there couldn't be very many windows either, so Romanesque buildings were often very heavy and dark inside.
They had round arches, like Roman buildings, and decorated column capitals like the Romans too, only Romanesque capitals often have carvings of people or animals on them instead of plants.” http://www.historyforkids.org/learn/medieval/architecture/romanesque.htm

“At the beginning of the Norman era the style of architecture that was in vogue was known as Romanesque, because it copied the pattern and proportion of the architecture of the Roman Empire. The chief characteristics of the Romanesque style were barrel vaults, round arches, thick piers, and few windows.
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The easiest point to look for is the rounded arch, seen in door openings and windows. In general the Romanesque churches were heavy and solid, carrying about them an air of solemnity and gloom.
These early Norman churches were not always so stark as they seem today, however. In their heyday the church walls were hung with tapestries or painted richly. The statues of the saints were gilded (on some you can still see traces of the paint if you look closely), and the service books were inlaid with gold, jewels, and ivory. Chalices and reliquaries were encrusted with gems.” http://www.britainexpress.com/History/Medieval_art_and_architecture.htm

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SOURCE PACKAGE #3: External Pictures of Medieval Cathedrals
Read the following article:
“After the Romanesque period in architecture, around 1200 AD, most people in western Europe began to build Christian churches and palaces in the Gothic style.
The easiest difference to see between the two styles is that while Romanesque churches have round arches, Gothic churches have pointed arches.
A Romanesque arch and a Gothic arch
But there are a lot of other differences as well. Gothic cathedrals have many more windows, and much bigger windows, and so they are not dark like Romanesque churches. This is because the architects have learned some new ways of making roofs and of supporting walls, especially the groin vault and the flying buttress.
Gothic churches are also usually bigger than Romanesque churches. By 1200 AD, people had more money available, and they could afford to spend more on building great churches. And, where many Romanesque churches had wooden roofs (which were always catching fire), Gothic churches had safer stone roofs.” http://www.historyforkids.org/learn/medieval/architecture/gothic.htm
Examine these pictures of Gothic cathedrals:

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"Gothic Cathedral" Visual English Dictionary. QA International Ltd, 2002. Oxford Reference Online. Oxford University Press. U. of New Brunswick Libraries. 30 October 2008 <http://www.oxfordreference.com.proxy.hil.unb.ca/views/ENTRY.html?subview=
Main&entry=t161.e85>
Chartres
Cathedral
In France

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How are they different from Romanesque Cathedrals? What do you notice about the shape of these cathedrals? Hint: Compare this shape to a well-known
Christian symbol.

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SOURCE PACKAGE #4: Architectural symbolism
A verse in the New Testament part of the Bible reads as follows: “Now you [the
Christians] are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it.” 1
Corinthians 12:27 (NIV). In Roman times, medieval times, and today, Christians are sometimes known as “the Church.” With this in mind, examine the following picture of Jesus superimposed onto the floor plan of a church/cathedral (this sort of floor plan that looks like a cross is called “cruciform”). What is the statement being made by the artist?

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Not only the shape, but also the direction of the different parts of the cathedral had significance. Examine the following research essay excerpt and diagram, and consider why this was the case. What physical attributes about our world might lend themselves to this significance?
“The orientation of the cathedral was important. Though not directly obvious
(the medieval mind thoroughly enjoyed layered and obscure symbolism ) the four points of the compass expressed theological truths. The intersection of nave and transepts designated the center of the universe while the apse, transepts, and nave radiated outward. The apse, where communion took place, faced east and the rising of the sun—representing Christ’s birth as well as His resurrection. An eastern apse also reinforced the ancient tradition of praying toward the east, for both priest and congregation faced the apse during the liturgical service.

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Conversely, the west and place of the setting sun typified the end of the world.
The art within the cathedral reflects this—the tympanum above the portals of
Chartres’ western façade and the scenes of the western rose window depict the
Last Judgement. The north was the place of darkness, and represented the Old
Covenant and the state of the world before the birth of Christ. Statues of Old
Testament figures are often found in the northern transept. The south is the place of light, and consequently signifies the New Covenant. Most churches and cathedrals strictly followed this symbolic orientation until the council of Trent.”
By Lisa Blackmore. Fall 2006.
Technological advances, such as flying buttresses and ribbed vaulting allowed gothic architecture to have bigger windows, higher ceilings, and more complex architecture. These gained symbolic meaning when applied to churches. View the following pictures of Chartres Cathedral, skim another essay excerpt, and see if you agree with the conclusions reached. Highlight the important parts. If you stepped into the cathedral, would you feel the way the architects intended you to feel? Remember, you have seen very few large buildings in your life, as most of your time (assuming you are a medieval peasant) is spent either outside in the country, or in a dark hovel.

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The 2-Dimensional Ideal. If you were walking in this church (as a medieval peasant), your steps echoing hollowly on the cold stone floor, how would you feel? The clergy are dressed in rich, colourful robes, and you are wearing your best but perhaps worn and slightly dirty clothes. Does the vast height of the ceiling seem to bring you closer to God or make him seem further away? Do you feel comfortable here? What idea is this giving you about God and Christianity? Is

it a welcoming religion? Or foreboding, aloof, and harsh? How do you feel that your hard-earned tithes were used to build this place?
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Light coming in through the stained glass windows.

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Special Mathematical Ratios or Big Mess?

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Here is a depiction of peasants tithing to a member of the clergy. Note how well he is dressed. How would you feel that you had to give your money to someone who was already rich?

http://www.gutenberg.org/files/10940/10940-h/images/fig260.png
This picture from a medieval manuscript depicts God as the Master Architect— something the architecture of the cathedrals were also trying to depict, as you will soon see. As one of the peasants, how would you view this God?
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“This new technology allowed the ancient portrayal of the cathedral as a symbol of heaven to be realized in a way never before dreamed of. No longer were murals needed to hide the structure of the cathedral; the building itself echoed its heavenly archetype. Statues and artwork were integrated in a manner that complemented the cathedral’s inherent elegance. Light and harmony were all-pervasive. Staying true to the didactic, symbolic nature of medieval art, each

26 of these newfound characteristics embodied a philosophical or theological principle, and medieval thought was thus written in stone.
Two influential figures in this movement—whose views, though superficially incompatible, were fundamentally similar—were St Bernard of Clairvaux and
Abbot Suger. Bernard cried out against the lavish use of precious materials in the
Lord’s house while children were starving, but Suger whole-heartedly advocated it.
Why shouldn’t God have the best? However, the underlying theme between the two was that both Suger and Bernard held to the Neoplatonic doctrine of St
Dionysius the Aeropagite who believed that “all degrees of reality were broken reflections of the Unique Divine Light.” While Suger felt that gold and precious stones reflected heaven in all its glory, Bernard preferred stark simplicity and mathematical harmony.
St Bernard and Abbot Suger were both friends of Geoffrey of Chartres, and the highly acclaimed School of Chartres reflected their influence in the form of adherence to Augustinian philosophy and theology, as well to Platonic mysticism.
Perfect ratios were of utmost importance, and architecture was linked with music through a belief system that upheld mathematics, specifically geometric proportions, as one of the key mediums through which Divinity was mirrored on earth.
These precepts are visually manifested in the architecture of Chartres Cathedral.
Light, which reaches the cathedral’s interior through majestic stained glass windows, represents the metaphysical as it “seemingly denies the impenetrable nature of matter.”
The stained-glass windows also serve practical and traditional considerations, for they both provide adequate light to view the relics contained within the cathedral, and espouse the cult of saints; as the clearstorey’s luminous renderings of holy men and women light the way for the pilgrims below.
The weightless, two-dimensional geometric ideal is almost achieved by bundling the ribbed vaulting into equidistant pillars (as opposed to the thick, freestanding pillars of Romanesque architecture), thus creating a geometric illusion of

paper-thin walls. These also make the building itself seem to strive upwards; while the walls, coupled with the large stained glass windows, appear to be translucent “walls of light, or of luminous precious stones, like the walls of the heavenly Jerusalem.” This surreal atmosphere is complemented by the pointed arch, which points to heaven and transports the earthbound pilgrim to higher realms of spiritual awareness.
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The hunger for mystical ratios and harmony is likewise satisfied in Chartres and other Gothic cathedrals. French artist and architect Villard de Honnecourt explained how to take a single square (“the geometrical representation of the
Godhead” ) and manipulate it so that all of the measurements in the cathedral are interrelated and harmony is achieved.
The ratio of 1:2 (known as Augustine’s perfect ratio) was used to determine the various heights of the cathedral, as were many other ratios—most corresponding to the musical octave. For example, Chartres’ cohesiveness was obtained by “the application of the golden section [one of the most commonly used ratios in the
Middle Ages ] to the ground plan.”
Lisa Blackmore. Fall 2006.

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SOURCE PACKAGE #5: Symbolism in Art
Read the following quotes, written by people who lived more than a millennium apart. Do you agree that art can be as effective as words?:
"Painting can do for the illiterate what writing does for those who read." –
Gregory the Great (one of the first popes)
“The cathedral of Chartres is medieval thought in visible form, with no essential element lacking.”--Emile Male (a notable French historian)
Go online, and visit this site: http://gallery.sjsu.edu/chartres/tour.html
It is a great virtual tour of Chartres Cathedral (a gothic cathedral which is located outside of Paris, France) and contains a lot of valuable information about the art in the statues and stained glass windows. Imagine you are a peasant looking at the statues and windows. Do you understand the stories being depicted? Do you think you can relate to those people? How do you feel about all this wealth in comparison to your poverty? How do you feel knowing that if you revolt, or refuse to pay your tithes, the Church will excommunicate you—a dire sentence which you believe will ruin your chances for a happy afterlife. Where do you stand in relation to Christianity? Do you adhere to this religion willingly? Do these pictures/statues make you feel empowered or disempowered? Who has the power here?

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Conclusion:
Choose between 5 and 10 of these sources, and answer the question posed at the beginning:
What do medieval cathedrals tell us about the nature of the Church in the Middle
Ages?
Remember to make your answer well-rounded by including information from the
5 different source packages.

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Appendix:
Useful teacher resources for information on medieval cathedrals and their symbolism.
B. B. Price, Medieval Thought: An Introduction (Cambridge: Blackwell Publishers, 1992).
Christopher Wilson, The Gothic Cathedral: The Architecture of the Great Church 1130-1530 (London:
Thames and Hudson, 1990).
Gerald Bonner, “Augustine’s Conception of Deification,” The Journal of Theological Studies 37, no.2
(1986).
Gregg Finley, On Earth as it is in Heaven: Gothic Revival Churches of Victorian New Brunswick
(Fredericton: Goose Lane Editions, 1995).
Emile Male, Religious Art in France of the Twelfth Century: A Study of the Origins of Medieval
Iconography, trans. Marthiel Mathews (Princeton: Princeton University Press, 1978).
Emile Male, The Gothic Image: Religious Art in France of the Thirteenth Century, trans. Dora Nussey, 3rd ed. (New York: Harper and Row Publishers, 1958).
Encyclopedia Americana: International Edition (Connecticut: Grolier Incorporated, 1986).
Encyclopedia of Early Christianity , Everett Ferguson, 2d ed. (New York: Garland Publishing
Inc, 1998).
Jean Gimpel, The Cathedral Builders, trans. Teresa Waugh (New York: Grove Press, 1983).
Paul Crossley, “Medieval Architecture and Meaning: The Limits of Iconography,” The Burlington
Magazine 130, no. 1019 (1988).
Norris Kelly Smith, “The Gothic Cathedral,” in On Art and Architecture in the Modern World: A Collection
of Essays, ed. Norris Kelly Smith (New York: The American Life Foundation, 1971).
Otto G. von Simson, “The Gothic Cathedral: Design and Meaning,” The Journal of the Society of
Architectural Historians 11, no.3 (1952).
Otto G. von Simson, The Gothic Cathedral: Origins of Gothic Architecture and the Medieval Concept of
Order, 2nd ed., Bollingen Series no.48 (New York: Bollingen Foundation, 1962).