By: Simrun, Blane, Nicole & Varsha

1. Middle Ages
11th century – 15th century
By: Varsha, Nicole, Blane & Simrun

2. Religion
• Dominated by Catholicism
• One main Catholic Church – had its own laws
and taxes; very powerful institution
• Thomas Aquinas: catholic priest, Summa
Theologica (God’s Existence, Ethics, Christ)
• Helped monarchy rule
• Pilgrimages were important

3. Art
• Art Media: Tapestry, sculpture, painting, metal work, music, mosaic, and textile
• Art was influenced by traditions of the Byzantine Empire, the barbarians of Northern Europe, and
the Roman Empire
• Most artwork produced by monks and was secular, later in the period the bourgeoisies created art
• Metal work was influenced by the Byzantine Empire
• Gregorian Chant: single melody religious chant (Jewish and Byzantine)
• Notre Dame and Ars Antiqua: Church experimented with two melodies instead of one. The use of
the organum became prominent
• Trouvères and the Troubadours: played by musicans who traveled around Europe. It is of French
decent. Songs of love, joy, and pain
• Guillaume de Machaut and Ars Nova: Poet and Composer. Ars Nova captures the emotions of
courtly love. Still secular. Introduction of choral music and polyphonic styles..
• Famous Artists:
– Donatello
– Giotto
– Leon Battista Alberti
– Filippo Brunelleschi
– Fra Angelica
– Lorenzo Ghiberti

4. Art
Giotto
Donatello

5. Culture
• Feudal Society
– King, clergy, merchants, craftsmen, yeoman famers, peasants(serfs)
– Noble men and households fought in wars: used cross bows, spears, swords
• Gender Roles:
– Men
• Patriarchal Society
• Primogeniture: the first born son would inherit the family land and wealth
– Women
• treated with respect, but still seen as frail and pure
• women free of marital bonds could own land and had legal rights
• Magna Carta
• Education and Labor
– Churches oversaw education
– Universities became popular as alchemy, and old
philosophical King
– Guilds
– The Plague

6. Literature
• Latin based
• Works were dominantly religious
• The Divine Comedy – Dante Alighieri 
• Cantebury Tales – Geoffrey Chaucer
• Chroniques – Jean Froissart
• Morte d’Arthur – Sir Thomas Malory
• Beowolf – Anonymous 

7. Works Cited
• http://www.middle-ages.org.uk/index.htm
• http://www.newworldencyclopedia.org/entry/Middle_Ages
• http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/7f/Florence_-
_David_by_Donatello.jpg
• http://www.hudsonfla.com/artmedieval2.htm
• http://cyberechos.creteil.iufm.fr/cyber6/histoire/visite/epoisse.htm
• http://www.archives.gov/exhibits/featured_documents/magna_carta/
• http://www.encyclopedia.com/topic/The_Divine_Comedy.aspx
• http://literature.wikia.com/wiki/Beowulf