Learning and Culture Flourish

Section 8-4 pp. 262-268

Preview Questions

• How did medieval universities advance learning?

• How did “new” learning affect medieval thought?

• What styles of art, literature, and architecture developed in the High Middle Ages?

Medieval Universities

• Early Universities – Evolved from cathedral

schools established to train clergy members

– Organized like guilds • Charters protected rights of

members• Standards for training

Medieval Universities

• Student Life – Long hours and

harsh conditions – Focused on

memorization – Studied several

liberal arts – Could eventually

become a “master” of the arts

Medieval Universities

• Women and Education – Women were not allowed to

attend universities, which greatly limited their opportunities

– Christine de Pizan: Famous author who wrote The City of Ladies about the capabilities of women

– Women were expected to remain at home and use their “natural gifts”

Europeans Acquire “New” Learning

• Spread of Learning – Muslim scholars preserved “classic” works of

Greece– Jews in Spain translated these works into Latin,

sparking a new interest in learning

Europeans Acquire “New” Learning

• Philosophy – Christians struggled to

adopt Aristotle’s teachings of truth based on reason.

– Scholasticism • Using reason to support

religious beliefs • Popularized by St. Thomas

Aquinas’ Summa Theologica

Europeans Acquire “New” Learning

• Science and Math – Scientific progress was slow because some

knowledge conflicted with Church teachings – Mathematic advances were adopted from Arabic

culture

Europeans Acquire “New” Learning

• Medieval Literature – New writings appeared in the vernacular, or

everyday languages of ordinary people– Epics told stories of heroic deeds • Ex: Song of Roland and El Cid

– Dante’s Divine Comedy• Imaginary journey into hell and purgatory • Idea: Actions in this life determine fate in afterlife

– Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales• Tale of Christians on a pilgrimage • Characters represent different medieval social roles

Architecture and Art

• Romanesque Style – Thick Walls – Semi-circular arches – Towers – Dark and gloomy

Romanesque Cathedral in Lisbon, Portugal

Architecture and Art

• Gothic Style– Higher walls– Stained glass windows – Tall Spires – Supported by flying

buttresses – Intricate carvings – Gargoyles

Reims Cathedral in France

Flying Buttresses of Cathedral Notre Dame de Chartres

East View of Notre Dame de Paris and Its Flying Buttresses

Gargoyles outside of Notre Dame de Paris

North Rose Window Inside Notre Dame de Paris

Illuminated Manuscripts

• Illumination: Artistic decoration of books

Illustration of the Annunciation from the Book of Hours