MEDIEVAL EUROPE FROM
THE 11thCENTURY TO THE
15th CENTURY
Culture and society
The Middle Ages are known as the Dark Ages because of wars, violence and
epidemics.
But It was also a very religious period and the Church was to give people hope and
really guided people’s life.
Today in our secular societies, such devotion is surprising. This is why it is very
interesting to focus on medieval Christianity
First, let’s show the features of this medieval Christianity to describe in a second
part the organisation of rural societies.
I/ Features of medieval Christianity
A/ People’s faith
Most people either secular (95%) or clergymen believed in the Christian dogma
through the Bible.
They believed in the beyond and searched salvation during the final judgement.
They were scared of Hell and hoped to go to Heaven.
However, in the countryside, popular believes remained and sometimes they
criticised the Catholic Church.
They were called the HERETICS.
The most famous example in southern France were the CATHARS ( also in
northern Italy and in the Rhineland) who searched for a purer faith, advocating a
poor Church far from ostentation, aimed at helping people get out from
temptation of Hell.
In 1231, the Inquisition was created by the Catholic Church and crusades were
launched against the so-called heretics: Jews, Cathars, Basques…
A pyre by the Inquisition
Cathars being expelled from Carcassonne in 1209.a
miniature from the Grand Chronicles of France
around 1415. The British Library
B/ A tight control of the Church
Faithful got organised around a priest in a parish.
Most people were baptised, married and attended massed.
Priests’ looks were typical: tonsure, frock.
They were to stay single ( celibacy), and were the only ones to read and
write.
They preached and were seen as guides and role models.
At this time the Church was wealthy and most priests were land-owners and
raised taxes ( Dime). They could also be lords and have vassals
In some parishes, faithful worshipped remains of saints and participated to
pilgrimages.
For instance the CONQUES( midi-Pyrenees/ Aveyron) abbey-Church on the
route to Santiago de Compostela.( Saint Jack- one of Jesus ‘ first apostles)
In Conques there are the remains/ relics of Sainte FOY.
There, one can see the very famous gold and jewel-encrusted reliquary statue
of St. Foy.
She was a martyred young woman from the 4th century.
Another very special pilgrimage :
The crusades:
they were an armed pilgrimage to set Palestine free from Muslim domination.
The Pope called on the first crusade in 1099
Pope Urban II calls for the crusade in 1095 in the Council
of Clermont in France
“For you must haste to exterminate and carry aid to our
brethren dwelling in the East who need your help (…)
The Turks a Persian people have attacked them and have
advanced into Roman territory, seizing more and more of
the lands of the Christians, have defeated them already in
many battles, have destroyed churches and have devastated
the Kingdom of God.(…)
Wherefore, I, not I but God, exhorts you as heralds of
Christ to urge men of all ranks to hasten to exterminate this
vile race. (…)
For those going there, there will be remission of sins if they
come to the end of their fettered life… this I grant to all
who go by the power vested in me by God.
Let those who liked waging war against other faithful, now
march upon the infidels, let those who have been robbers
now be soldiers of Christ and those who’ve been hireling
for a few pieces of silver now attain an eternal reward (…)
On the one hand will be the enemies of the Lord and there
his friends.
1-what did the Pope
ask?
2-what did crusaders
have to do once in
Jerusalem?
3-What did they get in
return?
C/ Monasticism
Monasticism is a religious way of life characterized by the practice of getting fully
devoted to spiritual work.
It’s an extreme way of practising religion.
4 MENDICANT ORDERS to remember :
The Benedictines . developed from the 10th century to the 12th century.
The Cistercians,It developed from the 11th century with an abbaye-Church founded
by Bernard de Fontaines in Clairvaux in 1115. It’s based on poverty and austerity.
Dominicans, founded in 1215
Franciscans, founded in 1209 by St. Francis of Assisi
Monks and nuns had a huge influence on people particularly in the countryside: they
were seen as role models.
But very soon, those orders are going to get richer ( lands, taxes ) and get closer to
political power.
II/ Life in the countryside
A/ Peasants’ way of life
Subsistence agriculture was the main economic activity at this time.
However, very few peasants owned lands: they got their land from lords , they
were tenant farmers and held tenures.
In return they worked on the lord’s lands ( corvée ) and paid taxes to the Lord to
use his tools ( oven, mill …) ( les banalités)
Their life was harsh and precarious because it depended on seasons and crops.
Productions were not very high due to poor techniques like the three field-crop
rotation
B/ Feudalism
Feudalism is a hierarchy between lords and vassals.
Vassals paid/pledged homage to lords : lords lend them a feud and protected
them.
In return they had to work on the lord’s land and give a part of their crop.
13th century archives
départementales Perpignan
It was possible to pay homage to many lords.
There was a hierarchy such as/
CONCLUSION
Medieval Christianity had specific features. First of all it was very closely linked
with religion, far more than today.
At this time, religion and the Clergy had a huge power over men who feared Hell
and divine punishment.
Pilgrimages, monasticism, the Inquisition all reflect the power of the Church at
this time.
Moreover, medieval men and women were mostly farmers and made a living
from subsistence agriculture into a feudal system.
At the end of the Middle-Ages, Christianity will evolve thanks to humanism but
the Church will keep a great power.