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The Roman Catholic Church in medieval Europe
The Roman Catholic Church in medieval Europe
The Roman Catholic Church in medieval Europe
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In the Middle Ages, architecture impacted faith which in turn, played an important role for the society. Saint Abbey of La Magdeleine supported the rise of Catholicism as it provided a large place of worship and aided the people to convert with the use of its relics. The background of this building and the connections it had to many biblical figures made the society believe it was sacred.The basilica had many major components which showed different themes correlated with the prime religion of the Middle Ages: Catholicism. Viollett-Le-Duc was the architect who was in charge of reconstructing the basilica.The events that occurred during the era further affected the artist and the politics of France during the time period.The power of the church could be seen as the resulting factor for its place in the social structure, as its leaders had the ability to control the kings and emperors who ruled over certain regions.
Abbey of la Madeleine is located in Vezelay in the country of France. It dates back to 1096-1150 and is still active. Its style is Romanesque and Cluny was the person who sculpted the capitals in the nave. The nave included myths, legends and bible stories which were also carved by him. Mystic Mill is the most famous capital at Vezelay. It symbolizes the Old and New Testament by including a scene for Moses and one for Paul. The scenes depict moses grinding grain into flour while Paul collects it in a sack. The basilica ties in with the Catholic church by having divine beings like Jesus on a throne at the tympanum. He is seen passing on his holy spirit to the Apostles.
St. Bernard launched the Second Crusade from this site in 1190. There were also two other crusades which were launched from Vezelay, easily sh...
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...15th and 18th century, Vezelay was a great place to live. The houses, flower gardens and medieval streets would make you feel right at home. In the Middle Ages, the Frankish Kings in the French society could not keep things in order. The estates that provided support were slowly depleting. The vikings were the most destructive invaders of the time. They raided anything they could find. In 12th century France, the lords tried to limit their children’s marriage rights.Political power had declined after the Carolingians. Afterwards, the kings of France were forced into rivalries. The real rulers of French territory in medieval times were the princes. The Capetians were soon able to retake authority for many centuries. The French knights had been multiplying like never before. This dramatically increased the chaos on top of everything that was already happening.
The Crusades took place in the Middle East between 1095 and 1291. They were used to gain a leg up on trading, have more land to show hegemony, and to please the gods. Based upon the documents, the Crusades between 1095 and 1291 were caused primarily by religious devotion rather than by the desire for economic and political gain.
Late Medieval Europe was a very different time from what Europe is today. It was a time where social mobility was unthinkable; people lived in fear of their creator, and were always trying to please their creator. In addition, Medieval Europe was an unhealthy and unhygienic state, where sickness and disease was rampant. It was a place where women had little to no rights, and minority groups were frequently falsely accused of many problems that were out of their control. For example, they were blamed for drought, which usually resulted in their unjust persecution because they “angered” God. Overall, Europe was the last place one would want to live unless you were of the nobility. On the other hand, Europe was also a major trading power, engaging
Life changed greatly since the early 1700’s. People no longer stayed in the villages where they were born, people moved and traveled, discoveries were made about our world and the people living in it, the monarchy fell apart and changed the lives of the French forever. The sixteenth century in France was a time of change and development for all that lived there.
... beauty and light in the building, they realized that the church must really hold the key to salvation, for they were able to construct a place so similar to the afterlife that many people longed for. It seemed almost as if Abbot Suger had visited heaven and created a physical representation in the Basilica of St. Denis.
In 1095, Pope Urban II called the first crusade. Happening between 1096 and 1099, the first crusade was both a military expedition and a mass movement of people with the simple goal of reclaiming the Holy Lands taken by the Muslims in their conquests of the Levant. The crusade ended with the capture of Jerusalem in July 1099. However, there has been much debate about whether the First Crusade can be considered an ‘armed pilgrimage’ or whether it has to be considered as a holy war. This view is complicated due to the ways in which the Crusade was presented and how the penitential nature of it changed throughout the course of the Crusade.
In 1241, King Louis IX was 27 years old, when he decided to build the Sainte Chapelle to house his great treasures – the relics of Christ. In the thirteenth century, the kingdom of France was a prosperous nation in wealth and power. The popular and well-known university, Notre dame was located in Paris that occupied over 200,000 students from many different cultures. “In 1237, the new Franc Emperor of the East, Baudoin II de Dourtenay, was faced by heavy expenses of a mainly military nature; he tried to meet these by selling the Relics of the Passion that were preserved in Byzantium and which he had already partly pledged to the Venetians” (Finance 4). In 1239, Louis bought from him the Holy Crown of Thorns, and two years later bought from him fragments of the True Cross and other relics connected to Christ. King Louis IX was a model for all Christian kings, and this reaffirmed his devotion to Christ, made his kingdom shine in western Christianity, and supported the empire of France. “It is probable that from this date onwards the king thought of building a monumental reliquary to house the precious relics in a dignified manner within the palace precincts, in a similar fashion of the Christian Emperors of the East” (Finance 5). The Sainte Chapelle sparkles like a rare jewel that has magnificent architecture and decoration; the stain glass windows seem to be inside of a jewel case. The many jewels seem to change color every hour with the sunlight rays bouncing back and forth. “The founder, King Louis IX, the future St. Louis, who had it built to house the Holy Relics of the Passion, today dispersed” (Finance 1). The spire has statues of Christ’s apostles at the base of the spire and has angles decorated above the apostles. The ...
The Ghent Altarpiece painted in completeness by Jan and Hubert van Eyck in 1432. This altarpiece is filled with symbolism. One of the most important pieces of the altar is the Deity Enthroned, which represents the Lord in Christianity. The painting covered with symbols and words. The artists portrays many signs with different meanings from the deity’s clothes to the background.
The First Crusade was established in 1095 in a council of the Church in Clermont. Alexius I Commenus, emperor of Byzantium, wanted to control Asia Minor and Northern Syria after losing to the Turks. He needed more Western troops and looked towards Pope
In the year 1095 the First Crusade was just beginning. Pope Urban II called Christians to liberate the Holy Land from Muslim oppressors. He promised indulgences and the gift of eternal life in the Kingdom of Heaven for fighting in the holy war. Those that answered the call were peasants, beggars, the poor looking for riches and the unknown looking for glory. What started out as a pilgrimage to help fellow Christians secure their borders and repel foreign invaders soon became the first of many Holy Wars for the Kingdom of God.
Thesis: Both St. John the Baptist Cathedral and Cathedral Basilica of Our Lady of Chartres are constructed in French Gothic style which means that architecturally they have many similarities. However, the 700 year gap between their construction offers St. John the Baptist more flexibility in design and style. Still, their likeness and variations extend far beyond the realm of their design.
The Middle Ages was a long period of time. It started in about the 500 A.D. and ended in about 1500 A.D. Not many things can last for this long period of time, but at least one thing did, and that was the Catholic Church. The Catholic Church consists of Popes, Bishops, Clergy, and Monks, and Nuns were also part of the Church. Also during the Middle Ages, it also produced many great philosophers (Funk & Wagnall’s, 275). From the Middle Ages to the 13th century, the church played important role as authority, influence. The Catholic Church held up due to the power of the Pope, Pope Gregory’s policies, and the Church was a part of the citizen’s daily lives.
At the start of the Second Crusade, it had been four decades since the First Crusade had taken place and the stories from the first expedition had become legends. However, these legends soon began to unravel: Edessa, once a Christian held city from the First Crusade, fell to the Muslims under the forces of Zengi. After the fall of the city of Edessa, "the Christian aura of invincibility was shattered" and they were overcome with panic because this was the first time they recognized the invading Muslims as a threat (Madden 50). This fear was precisely what ignited the Second Crusade. Although Pope Eugenius III called upon the Second Crusade, it was technically considered Bernard of Clairvaux’s crusade. Bernard was a French abbot who was appointed to his position by the Pope in order to preach about the crusade. Bernard regarded the Second Crusade "as a means of redemption" and preached across Northern France and Germany in hopes of rallying civilians to stand by his side in the name of Christ (Madden 52).
The Roman Catholic Church had complete influence over the lives of everyone in medieval society including their beliefs and values. The Church’s fame in power and wealth had provided them with the ability to make their own laws and follow their own social hierarchy. With strong political strength in hand, the Church could even determine holidays and festivals. It gained significant force in the arts, education, religion, politics as well as their capability to alter the feudal structure through their wealth and power.
The role played by the Church was directly entwined with the history and development of Western civilization. Although the church has had an influence on many things during its long history, it had a major impact culturally and philosophically. Specifically, the church had a major influence on the arts and architecture, which resulted in a changed philosophical mindset. The church’s influence on western society led to a had a major influence on art, architecture, and philosophy within these branches led to a had a major influence on the building of Western civilization.
Architecture strongly affected religion. People were building many gothic and Christian churches/cathedrals because they wanted more people to become Christian and for everyone to follow one religion. As a result of so many Christian churches around, more citizens and people form other countries in Europe converted to Christianity because they were becoming more aware of the religion and feared execution if they didn’t convert.