Art &Architecture in the

Middle Ages
Why did Europeans start building churches in the early middle ages?
Why were those early churches called “Romanesque”? When were
Romanesque churches built?
What is a symbol? What is symbolic about the layout of
the medieval cathedral?
 Why did medieval cathedrals have so much sculpture on them? If
you were a person in the middle ages, what message do you think you
would get from the sculpture in the close up photo?
 What kind of window is this (round one)? Why did
medieval cathedrals have so much stained glass in them?
What are these? Why were they important to the improvement of cathedral
architecture? Would you find these in a Romanesque or Gothic cathedral?

#1 #2
Which cathedral is an example of Romanesque architecture (early middle
ages)? Which is an example of Gothic architecture (late middle ages)?
Provide at least 3 ways you know you are right for each.

#1 #2
 When were Gothic cathedrals built? Why were Gothic
cathedrals able to have so many windows in them without
crumbling and falling over?
 A THOUGHT QUESTION
What was the purpose of the cathedral in medieval times? Why were
medieval cathedrals called “stone bibles”?

Cologne Cathedral:
how long did it take to
build this?
What is an illuminated manuscript? Who created them? Why?

Madonna and child

 WHAT’S THE POINT?
So, in terms of art and architecture, what did the Catholic Church
contribute to European society during the middle ages? Can you spot
a THEME or two?
Honors Challenge Required: Identify the name of the church below
and explain why it was so significant to medieval architecture. Hint:
the church official who built it was named Abbott Suger.
 Bonus Challenge
Got time? Go to…
http://www.learn.columbia.edu/Mcahweb/index-frame.html
and select “quicktime movies” on the bottom. Take a tour of this cathedral (by clicking
on the yellow buttons) and tell me whether it is a Romanesque or Gothic cathedral.
Give me five examples to prove you are right.

Then, go back to the home page and select “sculpture program”. Follow the directions
so you can listen to the story of one of the sculptures on the church. Tell me about one
story you heard.

Sources for photos

http://www.bc.edu/bc_org/avp/cas/fnart/arch/contents_europe.html
http://web.kyoto-inet.or.jp/org/orion/eng/hst/hist.html
http://www.pitt.edu/~medart/index.html