ARCHI 157: History of World Architecture Middle Ages to 18th Century
The Gothic Enterprise
Vocabulary to become familiar with:
Feudal
Spelling, or “to spell” (verb)
Monastic
Episcopate
Secular
Monastery of Cluny (Cluny I, II & III)
Part II: History
Chapter 3: Kings Feudal Lords and Great Monasteries
1. Describe the rise of kings and their power in medieval times.
2. How was pillaging, raids and sacrifice related to the role and power of the king?
3. How was sacrifice related to the guilds and to artists who made things in the middle ages? How
did they promote the power of the king?
4. How did priests feel about wealth and sacrifice?
ARCHI 157: History of World Architecture Middle Ages to 18th Century
The Gothic Enterprise
5. How did the role of Kings diminish by the 12th century? How was this tied in with the rise of
lords and their small territories?
6. What was the “Peace of God”? How did it organize society? How did rulers gather wealth and
spend it under this arrangement?
7. What was the role of the peasants during this period?
8. What was the role of the religious members of society? What was the role of monks and
monasteries? What did they believe ensured the welfare of the community? How did they
express this?
9. How did monks and priests provide stability to a fragmented society?
ARCHI 157: History of World Architecture Middle Ages to 18th Century
The Gothic Enterprise
10. How did monks live in their daily lives? How was this in contrast to how they built cathedrals for
worshipping god?
11. Why were links between the living and the dead important in establishing power in feudal
society?
12. Why was it important to give money to the church?
13. How was the working class tied in with the economic vitality of the towns and provinces of the
middle ages?
14. How was labor tied in with economic growth and the institution of currency and economic
exchange?
ARCHI 157: History of World Architecture Middle Ages to 18th Century
The Gothic Enterprise
Chapter 5 The Initial Vision
Vocabulary to become familiar with
Capetian Kings
Abbott Suger
1. Where did the Gothic enterprise begin? What is the first church to have the Gothic style?
2. What was the story of Saint Denis?
3. What was the cathedral used for that gave it special status?
4. What event gave the cathedral of Saint Denis and Abbott Suger a special status?
ARCHI 157: History of World Architecture Middle Ages to 18th Century
The Gothic Enterprise
5. What did the Abby Church of Saint Denis symbolize?
6. What were Abbott Suger’s two significant projects that he undertook? Why were they
important?
7. What were the gifts that the king gave to Saint Denis?
8. Describe the issues with the crowds at Saint Denis.
9. Who designed the renovation for the church of Saint Denis? What was the architectural vision?
ARCHI 157: History of World Architecture Middle Ages to 18th Century
The Gothic Enterprise
10. What were Abbot Suger’s goals for the role of Saint Denis? What did he achieve?