Medieval Period

The adjective "medieval" (or sometimes "mediaeval“ or "mediæval"), is pertaining to the

Middle Ages, derives from medium aevum.

In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages (or medieval period) lasted from the 5th to the
15th century. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire and merged into the
Renaissance and the Age of Discovery.

The phrase “Middle Ages” tells us more about the Renaissance that followed it than it
does about the era itself.

Accordingly, they dismissed the period after the fall of Rome as a “Middle” or even
“Dark” age in which no scientific accomplishments had been made, no great art produced, no
great leaders born.

The people of the Middle Ages had squandered the advancements of their predecessors,
this argument went, and mired themselves instead in what 18th-century English historian Edward
Gibbon called “barbarism and religion.”

The Catholic Church in the Middle Ages

After the fall of Rome, no single state or government united the people who lived on the
European continent. Instead, the Catholic Church became the most powerful institution of the
medieval period. Kings, queens and other leaders derived much of their power from their
alliances with and protection of the Church.

Ordinary people across Europe had to “tithe” 10 percent of their earnings each year to the
Church; at the same time, the Church was mostly exempt from taxation. These policies helped it
to amass a great deal of money and power.

The Middle Ages: The Rise of Islam

Islamic world was growing larger and more powerful. After the prophet Muhammad’s
death in 632 CE, Muslim armies conquered large parts of the Middle East, uniting them under
the rule of a single caliph. At its height, the medieval Islamic world was more than three times
bigger than all of Christendom.

The Crusades
Began in 1095, when Pope Urban summoned a Christian army to fight its way to
Jerusalem, and continued on and off until the end of the 15th century. In 1099, Christian armies
captured Jerusalem from Muslim control, and groups of pilgrims from across Western Europe
started visiting the Holy Land. Many of them, however, were robbed and killed as they crossed
through Muslim-controlled territories during their journey.
Art and Architecture
 Romanesque cathedrals - are solid and substantial: They have rounded masonry arches
and barrel vaults supporting the roof, thick stone walls and few windows.
 Gothic - Around 1200, church builders began to embrace a new architectural style. Have
huge stained-glass windows, pointed vaults and arches (a technology developed in the
Islamic world), and spires and flying buttresses. In contrast to heavy Romanesque
buildings, Gothic architecture seems to be almost weightless.

Medieval religious art took other forms as well

Frescoes and mosaics decorated church interiors, and artists painted devotional images of
the Virgin Mary, Jesus and the saints.

The Black Death

Between 1347 and 1350, a mysterious disease known as the " Black Death " (the bubonic
plague) killed some 20 million people in Europe—30 percent of the continent’s population. It
was especially deadly in cities, where it was impossible to prevent the transmission of the disease
from one person to another.

The Middle Ages: Economics and Society

In medieval Europe, rural life was governed by a system scholars call “feudalism.” In a
feudal society, the king granted large pieces of land called fiefs to noblemen and bishops.
Landless peasants known as serfs did most of the work on the fiefs: They planted and harvested
crops and gave most of the produce to the landowner. In exchange for their labor, they were
allowed to live on the land. They were also promised protection in case of enemy invasion.

Renaissance Period
“Renaissance” literally means “awakening” or “rebirth.” It was a European cultural
movement between the 14th and the 16th centuries.

The Renaissance was a cultural movement involving a renewal of learning, development

of infrastructure, and a gradual reform in education.

The Renaissance may be considered as a sort of a bridge between the Middle Ages and
the Modern Age.

The Renaissance is best known for its art as this was the age of geniuses

Humanism
Humanism promoted the idea that man was the center of his own universe, and people
should embrace human achievements in education, classical arts, literature and science.
The Printing Press — The “Grand Invention”

Gutenberg invented the printing press in 1445. This invention changed the lives of people in
Europe and all over the world.

Prior to its invention, books were made by hand. Words were copied and illustrations were all
drawn on parchment paper and animal skins that were dried and scraped until they were smooth.

The printing press could produce books very quickly with little effort. Books were therefore
much less expensive and many more people could afford them. With the knowledge imparted in
the books, many more people were empowered and as a result many changes began to occur

Architecture

Churches were no longer shaped like crosses. They used the circle to represent the perfection of
God. Symmetry became important. In homes, some of the features of the period were courtyards,
columns as support structures and domed roofs (a very difficult architectural task).

Painting

Renaissance painters used more realistic depictions than artists in the Middle Ages.

The human figure was drawn as realistically as possible, often with backgrounds of nature.
There was less emphasis on religious art. Gone were the pictures that had people arranged freely
and in came symmetrical groupings. Science helped artists understand the concept of
perspective, where objects that were drawn smaller actually looked as if they were farther away.
Use of light made figures look real.

Famous artists of the time include these men:

Botticelli
a member of the famous Medici family in Florence, Italy. He became very rich as both a
goldsmith and an artist, but died penniless.

He painted three frescos in the Vatican’s Sistine Chapel.

Fresco is the art or technique of painting on a moist plaster surface with colors ground up
in water or a limewater mixture.

Leonardo Da Vinci
considered to have one of the greatest minds of all times. He was an architect, musician,
engineer, scientist, mathematician, botanist and inventor. He invented the first parachute,
helicopter, airplane, tank, repeating rifle, swing bridge, paddleboat and motorcar. He painted the
famous “Mona Lisa” and “The Last Supper.”
Michelangelo
Considered by some to be the greatest artist and sculptor who ever lived. He was a great
leader of the Italian Renaissance. His most famous work and his greatest glory was painting the
Sistine Chapel at the Vatican in Rome.

Sistine Chapel at the Vatican in Rome

The ceiling shows the history of the Old Testament and includes more than 300 figures.
He set the standards for sculpting, painting, poetry and architecture.

Renaissance Religion
Humanism encouraged Europeans to question the role of the Roman Catholic church
during the Renaissance.

As more people learned how to read, write and interpret ideas, they began to closely
examine and critique religion as they knew it. Also, the printing press allowed for texts,
including the Bible, to be easily reproduced and widely read by the people, themselves, for the
first time.

In the 16th century, Martin Luther, a German monk, led the Protestant Reformation – a
revolutionary movement that caused a split in the Catholic church. Luther questioned many of
the practices of the church and whether they aligned with the teachings of the Bible.

As a result, a new form of Christianity, known as Protestantism, was created

Literature
Renaissance literature started with a renewed interest in the classical Greek and Roman
learning. The invention of the printing press and the weakening of the Catholic Church’s
influence on the daily lives of the people, among other things, enabled Renaissance writers to
express their beliefs in new ways.

There was an explosion of writing, some of which is deemed the greatest of all time, by
these authors:

Martin Luther‘s book 95

Theses had a great effect on people. He changed Christianity forever by telling about the
abuses of the church by the clergy. He is sometimes known as the “father of Protestantism

John Calvin
criticized the Catholic Church. He believed that a person has an individual relationship to God.
Calvinist churches believe in the simple life and a strong work ethic.

Nicolaus Copernicus
wrote a book that proved that the sun did not move around the earth every 24 hours. His
book revealed that the earth was not the center of the universe.
Leonardo da Vinci
Leonardo da Vinci’s masterful life is shown in his famed Notebooks, which contains his
drawings of “things that make the world matter.” This is how da Vinci regarded his drawings.

St. Ignatius Loyola

wrote a series of five books that defended the church and scolded Luther for his crusade
against it

Nicolaus Copernicus
wrote a book that proved that the sun did not move around the earth every 24 hours. His
book revealed that the earth was not the center of the universe.

William Shakespeare
considered one of the greatest writers who ever lived. He wrote at least 37 plays and 154
sonnets. Little is known about his life; however, we do know that he was an actor and performed
at the Globe Theater.

Renaissance Exploration
While many artists and thinkers used their talents to express new ideas, some Europeans
took to the seas to learn more about the world around them. In a period known as the Age of
Discovery, several important explorations were made.

Voyagers launched expeditions to travel the entire globe. They discovered new shipping
routes to the Americas, India and the Far East, and explorers trekked across areas that weren’t
fully mapped.

End of the Renaissance

Scholars believe the demise of the Renaissance was the result of several compounding
factors.

By the end of the 15th century, numerous wars had plagued the Italian peninsula.
Spanish, French and German invaders battling for Italian territories caused disruption and
instability in the region.
 Process of Reporting

Arts within 5th - 16th

Century

Medieval Age Renaissance Age

The Catholic Church Humanism

The Rise of Islam The Printing Press

The Crusades Architecture

Art and Architecture Painting

Medieval religious art Famous artists of the time

The Black Death Explosion of writing

Economics and Society Renaissance Exploration

End of the Renaissance

The reporters will have visual aids about the Medieval and Renaissance Age of Art by
means of PowerPoint Presentation. The discussion will flow on what are the major happenings in
these Ages. They will give the main thought of the topic and give some example to further
understand the topic.