Medieval Art

The Carolingians

•  The descendants of the Franks

  •  Having a primitive culture with a barter economy and living off Roman ruins

• Clovis, the Frankish king, converts to Christianity and builds the capital in Paris on the islands in the Seine River

• The rise of Islam and the defeat of the Moors by Charles Martel, highlighting the importance of Charles Martel in preserving France

• Charles Martel, the Mayor of the Palace, becomes loyal to the aristocrats and achieves a significant victory against the Moors

• Charles Martel's son, Pepin, is anointed by the Pope in Paris, symbolizing sacred kingship based on Old Testament precedents

  • Pepin invades Italy to help the Pope, leading to the establishment of the Carolingian dynasty

• Charlemagne, Pepin's son, is crowned Emperor of the Romans by the Pope in Rome, aiming to restore the Roman Empire

Equestrian Portrait of a Carolingian Emperor

Date: 9th century

Material: Bronze

• Supposed to be Charlemagne

• He is holding an orb in his hand, representing him ruling the world

• Bronze statues haven’t been made in a long time, so they tried to make it again 

• It is also based off of the statue of Marcus Aurelius

  • Not as much detail as the bronze statues in Rome

• Supposed to represent his status as king

• The statue is 9.5 inches high

Palace and Chapel of Charlemagne Aachen

Date: 789-808 CE

 

• Laid out on a grid plan, with a basilica-style government hall and a Christian chapel 

• It was Charlemagne's ceremonial and administrative center.

• Influenced by the design of San Vitale in Ravenna

  • It was octagonal in shape

  • It had an apse on two levels, with the lower altar dedicated to the Virgin Mary and the upper altar dedicated to Christ

• Charlemagne's throne was located in a raised throne lodge within the chapel 

  • Allowed him to preside over church services from an exalted position 

  • It also emphasized his role as a sacred king appointed by God

• The chapel incorporated reused materials, including columns and capitals from Ravenna, as the Carolingians lacked the resources to fully quarry and carve new stone. This reflected their limited technical abilities compared to the Romans.

• Overall, it was designed to project Charlemagne's power and sacred kingship, drawing inspiration from Roman and Byzantine architectural traditions.

Plan of Saint Gall

• The ground plan for an "ideal monastery" at St. Gall is discussed. 

• This was drawn on multiple pieces of parchment, indicating it was a detailed architectural blueprint.

• The key features of the St. Gall monastery layout include:

  • Designed as a self-sufficient, walled community, with a focus on being a center of safety, learning, religion, and economic production

  • The main entrance led directly to the central church, which had an unusual design with apses at both ends

  • Surrounding the church were various other buildings - stables for livestock, a hostel for travelers, and other structures needed for the monastery to be self-sustaining.The key features of the St. Gall monastery

  • This standardized, comprehensive monastery layout was likely being shared between different monasteries under the Carolingians, as they sought to create more organized and uniform monastic communities.

  • The St. Gall ground plan depicts an idealized, self-contained monastery design that embodied the Carolingian approach to establishing these religious and economic centers across their empire.

Torhalle

• It was a ceremonial entrance structure used by Charlemagne and his successors for ceremonial arrivals 

• Influenced by Roman triumphal arches in its design

• Had primitive, geometric style with columns and patterns, rather than highly detailed Roman architecture

• Reflected the Carolingians' more limited technical abilities compared to the Romans, as they were reviving and reinterpreting Roman art and architecture.

• Served as a ceremonial gateway, allowing Charlemagne and other Carolingian rulers to make grand, formal entrances 

  • Similar to how Roman emperors would have used triumphal arches.

• Its design and purpose was to project the power and status of the Carolingian rulers, drawing on Roman precedents but adapting them to the Carolingians' own architectural style and needs.

• An important Carolingian architectural innovation that blended Roman influences with their own more primitive building techniques to create a ceremonial entrance befitting their imperial ambitions.

Coronation Gospels

• A high-quality, lavishly-produced manuscript that showcased the Carolingians' efforts to revive and reinterpret Roman and Byzantine artistic traditions in their own court productions.

• Commissioned for Charlemagne

• It featured illustrations and was written in gold ink, indicating it was a lavish, high-quality manuscript produced for the Carolingian court.

• The illustrations were influenced by Roman or Byzantine artistic traditions, with figures depicted in a more natural, realistic style compared to earlier medieval manuscripts.

• The summary notes that one of the painters who worked on the Coronation Gospels was named Demetrius Presbytes, and he was from Constantinople.

• This suggests that the Carolingians were bringing in Eastern artists and craftsmen to work on their important manuscripts and artworks, reflecting an influx of Byzantine influences.

• Overall, it represent a shift towards more detailed, naturalistic art under the Carolingians, moving away from the more stylized, abstract approaches of earlier medieval illuminated manuscripts.

Crown of Otto

• Also known as the Crown of Charlemagne

• Likely made for the coronation of Otto I in 962

  • Crowned emperor in Rome by Pope John XXI

  • His victory over the Magyars earned him a reputation as a savior of Christendom

  • Conquered the Kingdom of Italy by 961

• Octagonal crown with eight hinged golden plates

• Made in Western Germany

• Included the name “CHVONRADUS” on the arch

• Made of eight round-topped gold plaques, an iron interior ring, jewels, and Byzantine-style enamel

• Worn with a mitre, which has points at the sides

• Crossed by a single arch from front to back

• Part of the Imperial Regalia, along with the imperial cross, imperial sword, and holy lance

Christ Blessing Emperor Otto II and Empress Theophanu

• Depicts Christ blessing the German ruler Otto II and his wife, Theophanu

• Created around 982

• Shows the couple in Byzantine garments, including crowns with prependoulia

• Theophanu holds a book to her breast, which is unusual for depictions of royal weddings

• Otto holds a heart

• The inscriptions identifying the figures are in Greek, but mixed with Latin letters

• May have been a wedding gift from John Philagathos 

  • Later became Otto III’s tutor and archbishop of Piacenza

• The frontispiece of Psalms 66

  • About homage to God and rule by power

• Intended to adorn the cover of a royal psalter

Gospel Book of Otto III

Date: 1000 CE

Material: Gold leaf, bright colors, and intricate designs

• A lavishly illuminated medieval manuscript for the Holy Roman Emperor Otto III

• One of the most important examples of Ottonian art

• Includes full-page miniatures, elaborate initials, and symbolic representations of power and divinity.

• Artistic style blends Byzantine, Carolingian, and early Romanesque influences

• Contains the four Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John), written in Latin in elegant script

• Likely used in imperial and religious ceremonies, reinforcing Otto III’s authority as a ruler chosen by God

• Depicts scenes:

  • Otto III Enthroned between Church and State

  • Christ Blessing the Children

Otto III Enthroned between Church and State

• Otto III is depicted enthroned between church and state

  • Dressed in purple robes

  • Holds an orb in his left hand

  • Eagle staff in his right hand

  • Flanked by clerics and knights

  • Four provinces approach him with gifts

• Illustration of imperial authority

• Reflects the Ottonian Renaissance

Christ Blessing the Children

• A depiction of Christ blessing children

• Seen resting in the stern of a boat during a storm of the Sea of Galilee

• Peter bends down to wake Christ, who then calms the gods of the wind

Elephant Silk of Otto III

• A luxurious piece of textile associated with the Holy Roman Emperor Otto III

• A finely woven Byzantine or Islamic silk fabric featuring decorative motifs 

• Had elephants 

  • Rare and prestigious symbol in medieval Europe

  • Often enclosed within circular medallions

  • Symbols of strength, wisdom, and imperial power

•  Came from the Byzantine Empire or the Islamic world 

  • Regions known for their high-quality textile production

• Used as a ceremonial robe, a religious vestment, or a burial shroud for Otto III

• Reflects the strong connections between the Holy Roman Empire and the wider Mediterranean world

Bernward Column

Date: 1020 CE

Location: Hildesheim Cathedral

Material: Bronze

• Heavily influenced by Trajan’s Column in Rome

• Depicts scenes from the life of Christ

  • Illustrating events from Christ’s life 

    • From his baptism to his entry into Jerusalem.

    • Emphasizes salvation and divine kingship

• The column may have supported a large cross or candelabrum

•  Reflects Bernward’s devotion to Christian art 

  • His knowledge of classical antiquity 

  • The desire to glorify Christ in a grand, imperial manner

• One of the greatest surviving examples of Ottonian metalwork

The Holy Roman Empire and the Ottonians

Otto the First →  He and Henry establish the Holy Roman Empire. He also takes the title of Holy Roman Emperor and is crowned in Aachen and St. Peter's in Rome to establish his succession to the Carolingians

Muqarnas

A three-dimensional decorative technique used in Islamic architecture

Christ Crowning King Roger II

Date: 1148

Location: Palermo, Sicily

• Reflects the unique cultural and political environment of Norman Sicily

  • Reflects the Byzantine presence in Sicily under Norman rule

• Depicts Roger II, Norman king of Sicily, being crowned directly by Christ

  • Roger II → Wearing luxurious Byzantine robe

  • Christ extends his right hand to place the crown on his head

• Reinforces his sovereignty and divine right to rule

  • Breaks from Western European traditions where kings were usually crowned by the pope

• Follows Byzantine tradition

Cappella Palatina (Palace Chapel)

Date: 12th century

Location: Palermo, Sicily

• Commissioned by King Roger II

• Served as the private royal chapel for the Norman kings

• Embodies diversity by integrating Byzantine religious iconography, Islamic decorative techniques, and Norman architectural features

• Interior is covered in gold-ground mosaics

• Most famous mosaic depicts Christ Pantokrator in the central dome

• Other mosaics include biblical scenes from the Old and New Testament

• Has muqarnas ceiling, features intricate geometric patterns, follows a basilica plan, and uses pointed arches and vaulted ceilings

Coronation Mantle of King Roger II

Date: 1133-34

• Commissioned for Roger II

• A powerful symbol of the multicultural, luxurious, and politically strategic court of Norman Sicily

• Depicts a lion attacking a camel

  • Symbolic representation of Norman dominance over the Muslim world

• Made of deep red silk and gold embroidery, decorated with intricate pearls, enamel, and precious stones

• Later taken to the Holy Roman Empire

Norman Palace mosaic of hunting park

Location: Palermo, Sicily

• An elaborate floor and wall mosaic that covers the Hall of Roger

• Features exotic animals, hunting scenes, and rich vegetation

• Symbolizes royal power, cultural syncretism, and paradise imagery

  • Symbolizes the strength of Norman kings

  • Reflects both Byzantine and Islamic ideals of kingship

Cathedral of Monreale

Date: 1174-83

Location: Monreale, Sicily

• Built and commissioned by King William II

  • Sought to rival Palermo’s cathedral

• Functioned as both a cathedral and and a part of a Benedictine monastery

Sicily

• It had many Latin, Greek, and Arab influences

• King Roger II

  • Ruled over a highly diverse kingdom that included Greeks, Arabs, Latins, and Normans

    • They all lived side by side

• Byzantine, Islamic, and Norman influence was used for these artworks

Furta Sacra

Medieval Christian practice of stealing saints' relics and moving them to a new shrine

Relics of St. Mark

• Stolen from Alexandria, Egypt in 828 AD by two Venetian merchants

• The merchants learned that the local Islamic governor was planning to destroy the church where St. Mark's body was kept

• Substituted St. Mark's body with that of St. Claudia, a less well-known saint

• Hid St. Mark's remains in a basket of pork to avoid detection by customs officials

• Sailed back to Venice with the relics

  • Always thought St. Mark was supposed to be sent to Venice

• The relics were received in Venice with ceremony and taken to the Ducal Palace

• In 832, a church was built to house the relics

• In 1063, a church dedicated to St. Theodore was demolished to make way for the current Basilica of San Marco

• Some of St. Mark's relics were returned to Alexandria in 1968

• Copts believe that St. Mark's head is in a church in Alexandria

• Parts of his relics are in St. Mark's Cathedral in Cairo

• Believed that St. Mark is gonna come back for his relics when he is resurrected

• Some people would’ve attempt Furta sacra on his relics

  • Attempted in the middle of the night

San Marco (St. Mark)

• A symbol of Venice’s wealth, artistic ambition, and political power

• Originally built in 829 to house the relics of St. Mark the Evangelist 

• Had been damaged by fire in 976 during a rebellion

• Reconstruction in 1063 

• Byzantine architectural style

  • Heavily inspired by the Church of the Holy Apostles in Constantinople 

  • Venice had strong commercial ties with the Byzantine Empire, and this is reflected in the basilica’s design

• Built with a Greek cross layout

  • Common in Eastern Orthodox churches

• Has five domes

  • Symbolizes Christ and the four evangelists (Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John)

  • Built with simple wooden coverings

• Interior was covered in golden mosaics

  • Depicts biblical scenes and the life of St. Mark

  • Byzantine artists worked on these mosaics

    • They matched the grandeur of the churches in Constantinople 

• Exterior made of iconic marble

Pala d’Oro

• Gold altarpiece in St. Mark’s Basilica

• One of the greatest masterpieces of Byzantine enamel and goldsmithing

• Commissioned Doge Pietro Orseolo in 976

• Made in Constantinople by Byzantine craftsmen

• Represents Venice’s devotion to St. Mark and Christ

• In the middle is where Christ is throned holding a bible

• Symbolized Venice’s dominance and ties to the Byzantine Empire.

• Gold, silver, precious stones and jewels, and Byzantine enamel

• Divided into two main tiers, with the lower section featuring Christ in Majesty, surrounded by angels, saints, and apostles.

• Many of the enamels were stolen from Constantinople and depict biblical scenes and the life of St. Mark

• Nearly 2,000 gems adorn the altarpiece, enhancing its radiant effect

• Has Empress Irena in it

Radiating Chapels

A small, semi-circular chapel that extends from the main body of a church

Nave arcade

A series of arches that separates the nave of a church from the side aisles

Tribune (or gallery)

An official in ancient Rome chosen by the plebeians to protect their interests

Reliquary

A container designed to hold sacred relics, often the remains of saints or objects associated with them

Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela

Date: 1070-1120 CE

Location: Santiago de Compostela, Spain

• Believed to be the final resting place of St. James the Apostle

• Constructed during the reign of Alfonso VI

• Primarily Romanesque with later additions in Gothic, Baroque, and Neoclassical styles

  • Barrel vaults

• Famous Facade = Obradoiro facade

• The Botafumeiro, a massive incense burner that swings across the cathedral during special services.

• The Portico of Glory, a stunning Romanesque doorway carved by Master Mateo in the 12th century.

• The Crypt, where the relics of Saint James are believed to be kept.

• The final destination of the Camino de Santiago

• A major pilgrimage site, second only to Jerusalem and Rome for many Christians

• The cathedral has witnessed centuries of history, kings, and pilgrims, shaping Spanish and European culture

Reliquary of Sainte Foy

Date: 11-12th century

Location: Abbey Church of Sainte-Foy, Conques, France

Material: Gold, silver, gemstones, and cameos, set over a wooden core.

• An important artifact of Christian devotion and pilgrimage

• Contains the skull of Saint Foy

• Represents the power of medieval relic cults and their role in attracting pilgrims, funding churches, and spreading Christianity

• Shaped like a seated, almost life-sized figure of a young girl, representing Saint Foy

• Many of the gemstones were donated by pilgrims over centuries

• Head of the reliquary repurposed from a Roman helmet or mask

• Sainte Foy

  • A young Christian girl from Agen, France

  • Pilgrims believed she could perform miracles, especially for curing blindness and freeing prisoners

  • Martyred around 303 AD under Roman Emperor Diocletian for refusing to renounce her faith

  • Her relics were later moved (some say stolen in a "holy robbery") to Conques in the 9th century, attracting pilgrims

• A major pilgrimage attraction on the route to Santiago de Compostela

• One of the finest surviving examples of medieval goldsmithing and relic worship

Abbey Church of Sainte Foy

Date: 11-12th century

Location: Conques, France

• A famous medieval church that played a key role in the pilgrimage routes to Santiago de Compostela

• Had a Romanesque design

  • Thick stone walls, barrel vaults, and small, rounded windows

  • A cruciform (cross-shaped) layout

  • Tall arcades and a central nave that create a majestic interior

• Has a connection to the cult of relics

• Houses the Reliquary of Sainte Foy 

  • Needed relics to attract more people because the church wasn’t known and was isolated

• Tympanum of the Last Judgement

  • One of the most famous Romanesque sculptural works in France

  • Depicts Christ in the center, judging souls, with the saved on the left and the damned on the right

  • Hell shows demons torturing sinners in vivid detail

• Its role as a major stop on the Camino de Santiago, bringing thousands of medieval pilgrims

Vézelay Abbey and the Nave

Date: 1120-1132 CE

Materials: Light and dark stones

• One of the most famous pilgrimage sites in medieval Europe

• An important starting point for the pilgrimage route to Santiago de Compostela in Spain.

• Connected to Mary Magdalene and her relics

  • Her tomb was moved to here

• Nave

  • One of the most celebrated aspects of the church’s architecture

  • Primarily Romanesque and some early gothic elements

  • Barrel-vaulted ceiling with transverse ribs

  • Adorned with biblical scenes, mythical creatures, and allegorical figures

  • Large clerestory windows, making the light flood inside to make the interior bright

  • Designed to accommodate large groups of pilgrims with wide aisles for smooth circulation

Tympanum: Mission of the Apostles

Date: 12th century

• Designed to call the crusades and to take back the Holy lands 

• Conveys the spiritual and missionary role of Christ’s apostles

  • Make disciples and baptizing them in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit

• Reminds pilgrims of their faith’s mission

• Encouraged others to spread the faith throughout Europe

• Christ is in the center, larger than all other figures

  • Has halo and light is radiating out of his hand

• The twelve apostles surround Jesus receiving the Holy Spirit

• Different peoples of the world are also present on the lower part of the tympanum

• Figures were elongated and highly expressive

Mystic Mill Capital

• Depicts Moses and paul beside a mill

• Moses is pouring grain into the mill

• Paul is collecting the flour from the other side

• Represents the transformation of the old testament (Grain) into the New testament (Flour) through Christ

• Symbolizes the idea that the teaching of the Old testament are refined and fulfilled in the New testament

  • Paul receiving and spreading the “processed” spiritual truth

• Mill acts as a metaphor for spiritual purification

The Rape of Ganymede Capital

• Illustrates Ganymede being abducted by Zeus in the form of an eagle

  • Ganymede → A beautiful Trojan youth boy

  • Lifted into the sky by the eagle

• Zeus takes Ganymede to Olympus to serve as the cupbearer of the gods

• Symbolizes the soul’s ascent to the divine

• Serves as a warning against the worldly temptations or arrogance

• Reflects the intellectual curiosity of medieval scholars

Autun Cathedral

Date: 1120-1139 CE

• One of the most influential Romanesque churches

• Reflects the medieval Church’s role in educating and emotionally engaging the faithful through art

• An important stop on the pilgrimage route to Santiago de Compostela

• Built to honor Saint Lazarus and his relics made the church a major spiritual destination

  • Saint Lazarus was believed to be the brother of Mary Magdalene

Tympanum: Last Judgment

Artist: Gislebertus

• Depicts the last judgement to inspire awe and fear towards pilgrims

• Christ sits enthroned in a mandorla (almond-shaped aura)

• Right → Saved souls

• Left → Damned souls

  • Angels are trying to keep the sinners on the other side

• There is a terrified soul being weighed by an angel and a demon

• The people in the bottom

  • The dead rising from their graves

• Inscription saying Gislebertus hoc fecit (Gislebertus made this)

  • Rare case where medieval sculptor signed their work

Eve nave capital

Artist: Gislebertus

• Depicts Eve slithering along the ground to reach the forbidden fruit

  • In an unusually sinuous and lifelike pose

• One of the most sensual and psychologically complex depictions of Eve

• Reflects growing humanization of biblical figures

Church of Saint Pierre (Moissac Abbey)

Date: 1100 CE

Location: Moissac, France

• Also built with Romanesque style with additional Gothic elements

  • Nave with barrel vaulting, supported by massive piers and decorative capitals 

  • The bell tower dominates the structure

The Pilgrimage Roads

• There are going to be Christian pilgrimages to see these relics of important and holy figures

• Santiago de Compostela

  • Has a stone barrel vault and groin vaults in the aisles

• Pilgrimage started in Italy

• During this time, death was present in people’s lives

• Tympanums were designed to encourage people to become better Christians

  • Has depictions of the last judgement

• There was a competition between churches to house the best relics

  • Ex. Saint peter’s arm

• 1104-1165

  • Dedicated the new choir and transept

  • Abbot was assassinated by townspeople

  • Building of nave and narthex

  • People sacked the abbey, attacked relics

  • Shortly after westwerk completed, townspeople drove Abbot from town - declare a commune. Townspeople excommunicated

  • Abbot reinstated at Vezelay

  • Continuing strife between town and abbey

The Normans

•  A population of people who originated in Normandy, France in the 10th century

• North men, vikings in the North

• Settled in Normandy

• Adopted cultures of France and lived in France

1066 - France still ruled by a duke robert devil and william the conqueror took position when he died

• Initiated the Battle of the Hastings

  • Leads an army, defeats the Saxons and takes over England

  • Seizes 20% of England for himself

  • He will also take over churches, appointing monks to settle there

    • Uses religion to aid in his conquest

Saint Cuthbert

• Lived in the Lindisfarne church

  • Needed a boat to go there

• Becomes the head of that church

• Very spiritual

• So many depictions of him

  • Depictions of him teaching the monks

  • Also depicted him praying in water with otters drying his feet

• It was said an angel helped built a church with him

• He lived alone away from other monks

Battle of Hastlings

In 1066 CE,  William the Conqueror defeated King Harold II of England. The battle marked the end of Anglo-Saxon rule in England and the beginning of the Norman Conquest

Rib vaulting

An architectural feature for covering a wide space, such as a church nave, composed of a framework of crossed or diagonal arched ribs; ribs are shaped like an “x”

Flying buttress

A buttress slanting from a separate pier, typically forming an arch with the wall it supports

Abbey of Saint Etienne

Date: 1064-1087 CE

Location: Caen, France

• Known as Abbaye aux Hommes

• Founded by William the Conqueror in 1063

  • Main church for the men back then

  • Built to solidify his rule and atone for marrying Matilda of Flanders, which had been condemned by the Pope

  • William and his wife was buried in the abbey upon his death in 1087

• Dedicated to Saint Stephen (Étienne in French)

• The west façade features two tall towers to make it more visible to the people, later topped with Gothic spires

• The interior has a spacious and well-lit nave with massive round arches and an early ribbed vault.

• The nave originally had a wooden roof but was later replaced with ribbed groin vaults.

• The choir was rebuilt in a Gothic style during the 13th century

• Not a pilgrimage church (no relics to attract pilgrims)

• Plain design

Durham Cathedral

Date: 1093-1133 CE

Location: England

• Housed the relics of Saint Cuthbert 

  • Revered Anglo-Saxon Saint (more information on the bottom)

  • Discovered his body still intact and free from decay

    • Some of the high clergymen doubt about it, including the bishop

    • Convinced that it is intact and praised it for being pure and not corrupted

  • They took it with them in this church

  • His grave and his relics are in the church on the altar

    • Relics were believed to perform miracles

    • Women weren’t allowed to approach the grave

  • Used him to gain attraction to many church goers

• Built as a demonstration of Norman power and control over the Anglo-Saxon population

  • All of the saxons were kicked out of this church and replaced with Norman monks

  • Soldiers patrolled this area and had a military outpost

• Still a Romanesque church, but has gothic elements

  • Thick walls 

  • Round and pointed arches 

  • Ribbed groin vaulting 

  • Flying buttresses

  • Decorated columns with geometric patterns

  • Sturdy, cylindrical piers

Bayeux Tapestry

Date: 1070 CE

• Commissioned by Bishop Odo of Bayeux

  • Half-brother of William the conqueror

  • Commissioned to justify William’s claim to the English throne

• Helps understand the Norman Conquest

• Depicts more than 600 characters, 200 horses, 50 dogs, and 40 ships

• Decorated with animals, mythological creatures, and scenes of daily life

• Embroidered using stem stitch and laid-and-couched work (not wovened)

• Style → Romanesque

• Story:

  • King Edward the Confessor sending Harold Godwinson to Normandy

  • Harold’s oath to William, swearing allegiance (a key point of contention)

  • Harold’s coronation as King of England after Edward’s death

  • Norman invasion preparation, with scenes of shipbuilding and feasting

  • The Battle of Hastings (1066)—the climactic scene showing Harold’s army falling to the Normans

  • Harold’s Death—Harold is believed to be depicted with an arrow to the eye, although this interpretation is debated.

Spain

• Part of the Roman Empire

• Visogoths settled in Spain, but was taken over by the Moors in 711

• Visogoths take back Spain by pushing away the Moors

• Conquered Santiago Compestello

• Leon

  • Under Moorish rule

  • Capital of rulers trying to fight the moors

  • A political and cultural center

• There is a reconquest where they take more Moorish territory

  • They loot and bring back valuables

    • Sometimes make donations to Christian Monasteries

• Toledo

  • In the middle of Spain

  • Capital of Spain

  • Kings wanted to take it back

  • Last Christian Capital of all of Spain

  • Had people of different cultures live in here

  • Had 11 synagogues

  • Christian conquest in 1085

    • Took over Toledo and started seizing religious buildings of different faiths

    • If you were Jewish and didn’t convert to Christianity, they were killed

      • Some would say they converted, but didn’t

      • Some fled down to the Mediterranean

  • Jews, Christians, and Muslims coexisted in Toledo

    • Under Muslim rule, muslims had to pay a tax to the ruler show your faith

Royal Pantheon of San Isidoro

Date: 1080’s

Location: Leon, Spain

Style: Romanesque

• Called the “Sistine Chapel of Romanesque Period”

  • Consisted Romanesque frescoes

• Built by King Ferninand and his wife Queen Sancha

• A royal cemeteries for the kings, queens, and dukes

  • Over 23 kings, queens, and noble family members were buried there

• Part of the Basilica of San Isidoro

• The ceilings were painted

  • Old and preserved

  • “The Sistine Chapel of the Romanesque Period”

  • Has an angel telling the shepherds about child Christ

    • Has plants and animals

  • Also has a scene of Herod killing the innocent children

• Has stone coffins and groin vaults

Christ in Majesty

• Looking up as if he is in heaven

• Has stars and halo behind him, inside a mandorla

• Making a blessing gesture with his right hand while showing the bible in his left hand

• Close to the Last judgement tympanum

• 4 winged animals of the apocalypse in the corners

• Consists of the 4 evangelist symbols

  • Lion → Mark

  • Eagle → John

  • Ox → Luke

  • Man → Matthew

Crucifixion with Ferdinand and Sancha at foot of cross

• Ferdinand, Sancha, and their daughter are at the base of the cross

  • To show their faith to Jesus

Pamplona Casket (or Leyre Casket)

Date: 1005

Location: Cordoba

Material: Ivory

• Also called “Leyre Casket”

• Made for Abd al-Malik

  • Abd al-Malik (The sword of the state)

    • Political figure and military leader

  • Served as a gift for the prince

    • Had jewelry and scented oils

• Used this as a reliquary of two young women saints

  • Regarded as martyrs

  • Mother was christian, but their step father was Islam

    • Encouraged them to convert to Islam, but they refused

• The inscription on the casket could provide clues about its patron

• Intricate carvings

  • Beautiful gardens with animals on them

  • Warriors on horseback and elephants

  • A leader dominating lions

  • Scenes of court and hunting life

Mosque of Bab al-Mardum

Date: 999

Material: Stone and Brick

• Turned into Church of Santa Cruz in 1186

  • Seized by Christians, converting it from a mosque to a church

• Located near the city gate

• Has an inscription of when it was built

• Has horseshoe arches

• Originally squared and had 4 columns

• Had different stone ribs with different geometric patterns

• Has a half-dome and painted

  • Floating on the altar

  • Has Christ with a halo, man and blue stars behind him

  • Had Arabic writing talking about prosperity

Ibn Shoshan Synagogue

Date: 13th-14th Century

Location: Toledo, Spain

• One of the earliest surviving synagogues

• Looks like a mosque

  • Rows of columns and horseshoe arches

  • Had pinecones on the capitol decorations

• Has a jewish symbol and the star of David

• A mob was led here from a priest who talked bad about the Jews

• Had an apse on one wall

Samuel Halevi Abulafia Synagogue

Date: 1360

Location: Toledo, Spain

• One of the earliest surviving synagogues

• Private synagogue

• Built by Samuel Halevi Abulafia

  • A wealthy Jewish official and treasurer

  • Worked for King Pedro

  • It is connected to his residential establishment

  • Was later tortured and killed

• Coffered wood ceiling and metal

  • Carved with intricate Madejar designs

• Features a niche rather than an altar

• Elaborate carving on the wall

• Open lattice windows

San Roman

Date: 1221

Location: Toledo

• Brick and Horseshoe arches

• Remodeled overtime

• Depicted religious figures, biblical scenes, angels and saints

• Also has scenes of the last judgement

Hildagard Von Bingen

• Only woman of her age considered knowledgeable about Christian theology

• First woman to receive Pope’s permission to write books on theology

• Only Medieval woman to preach publicly with four long preaching tours

• Wrote a medical encyclopedia and study of the natural world

• Author of first morality play

• Only named composer of 12th c. with surviving corpus of music

• Her Story:

  • Lived in the Holy Roman Empire

  • Father → Poor Knight

    • Had a lot of children, making Hildegard as the 10th

    • Tithed 10% to the church

  • Dropped off to a monastery

    • There was a small community of women supervised by men

    • She was given an education by teaching her how to read and write

  • She grew up to be well-educated and intelligent

  • Placed as the next abbess

  • Claimed to receive visions from God and spoken to her

    • Has a secretary named Volmar that helped her write down what she was seeing

  • She got an endorsement from the Pope because of her theology writings

  • Claimed that God wanted her to make a monastery for women

    • Pressured and manipulated the officials to allow it to happen 

  • Spoke in monasteries around Europe

  • Seen as an intermediary, or prophet, between her and God because of her visions

  • Convinces men of the church that she has these visions

    • People did believe her

  • Her take on the trinity → Father, Son, and the grace of God’s maternal love

Liber Scivias (Know the Ways of the Lord)

• Portrait of Hildegard can be seen at the beginning of the text

  • Volmar is peeking through the window 

    • Acts as a witness and writes those down in the book

  • She is seated writing on wax tablets while looking up or during her visions from God

• Fire is coming from the ceiling going into her eyes

  • Visions were described as “a great multitude of very bright living lamps, which received fiery brilliance.” 

  • “I have never fallen prey to ecstasy in the visions, but I see them wide awake, day and night. And I am constantly fettered by sickness, and often in the grip of pain so intense that it threatens to kill me”

    • She is wide awake when she is having her visions

Fall of Adam and Eve

• Depicts Adam laying down while Eve is created from Adam’s rib

• Eve is depicted coming out as a cloud with stars

  • Symbolizes her generation

• There is a black tree trying to grab eve

• Hildegard writes about the gift of knowledge

  • Says that it wasn’t a curse, but a gift of God

  • Reiterates the message of God

Ecclesia

• This is a female personification of the Church

• She has female christian believers on her arms

• Mary Magdalene is here due to her red clothes

  • Thought to be important because of her role in Christ’s life as a disciple and mother

• Wants to empower female figures

• Sparks the idea of God not being male nor female

Man of the Cosmos

• Hildegard is in the bottom left corner still writing on the tablets while her visions are displayed

• The man in the middle represents mankind

• Component of the universe are around the man

  • Four elements = Wind, Fire, Water, and Earth 

• Ring of fire has head and feet

• Tries to explain God’s creation

• Includes the four seasons

• Scroll comes toward her and they are painted around the background

Saint Denis

Date: 1137-1144

• Abbot Suger, the mastermind behind its renovation, introduced key features that defined Gothic architecture:

  • Pointed arches (instead of round Romanesque ones)

  • Ribbed vaults (which distributed weight more efficiently)

  • Flying buttresses (which allowed for larger windows)

  • Stained glass windows (which transformed the interior with colorful light)

• Suger believed that divine light symbolized the presence of God, so he emphasized large stained-glass windows to illuminate the interior, creating a spiritual and ethereal atmosphere.

• Saint-Denis became the necropolis of French kings, with nearly every monarch from the 10th to the 18th century buried there.

Neo-Platonism

A philosophical and mystical tradition that reinterprets Plato’s ideas

Jamb statues

A figure carved on the jambs of a doorway or window

Rose windows

A circular window, often found in Gothic cathedrals and churches, divided into segments by stone mullions and tracery, resembling a multi-petaled rose 

Lancet windows

A high and narrow window with an acutely pointed head

Chalice of Abbot Suger

• Commissioned by Abbot Suger

• Features a carved sardonyx cup (likely from antiquity) mounted in gold, pearls, gemstones, and enamel

• Used for the Eucharist at Saint-Denis