WEBVTT

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-Hey. I'm Rick Steves,
here with a fascinating chapter

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in the rich and inspirational
story of Europe's art.

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In this hour,
we're going medieval,

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the era of soaring cathedrals,
imposing castles,

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splendid stained glass,
and even a unicorn or two.

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This is the art
of the Middle Ages.

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Thanks for joining us.

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♪♪

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♪♪

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♪♪

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-The Middle Ages spanned
1,000 years,

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from about 500 to 1500.

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The first half was a time
of relative poverty

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and economic stagnation.

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Then around the year 1000,
Europe rebounded.

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That story,
its turmoil and triumphs,

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is reflected in the magnificent
art and architecture of the age.

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We start after
the fall of Rome,

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as the flickering flame
of civilization

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was kept alive in monasteries
and in fortress-like churches.

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We'll see how Europe
was invigorated

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by neighbors on the fringes,

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from Christian Byzantium
to Islamic Spain

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to the pagan Vikings
of the North.

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Then we step into
the High Middle Ages,

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marveling at formidable castles,

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radiant Gothic cathedrals,

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and art that both
dazzled the faithful

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and celebrated secular life

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as Europeans approached
the dawn of a new age.

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Imagine it's the year 500.

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The Roman Empire that had
united Europe for centuries

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was crumbling,
leaving a political vacuum.

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The city of Rome
had been sacked,

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and marauding tribes
ravaged the countryside.

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After Rome fell,
Europe was plunged

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into what used to be called
the Dark Ages.

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The once united empire shattered
into small warring kingdoms.

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Frightened people sought refuge
inside crude fortresses

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in towns surrounded by
thick walls and moats

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or atop remote hills.

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Tilling the fields,
most lived their entire lives

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in a single place,
poor and uneducated.

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For centuries,
there was little travel,

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little trade,
no building for the future --

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almost no progress.

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People were superstitious,
living in fear of dark forces.

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[ Birds cawing ]

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Desperate for security,

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they bowed down
to the local warlord,

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who was armed
with a castle and knights

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and backed by the church.

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The lord promised land
and protection

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in exchange for loyalty
and a tax on anything produced.

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This was part of a societal
structure called feudalism,

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with peasants on the bottom,

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nobles and bishops
in the middle,

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and the king or queen on top.

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This feudal hierarchy
would dominate the Middle Ages

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and produce some of medieval
Europe's earliest treasures,

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jeweled crowns,
scepters, and fancy swords,

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the ceremonial objects
that reinforced the message

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that the feudal order
was endorsed by God

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and all-powerful.

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♪♪

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During those difficult times,
one institution survived

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from ancient Rome --
the Christian church.

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It provided both stability
and continuity.

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Roman senators became
Christian bishops.

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The Roman emperor,
called the pontifex maximus,

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became the Christian pope,

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also called
the pontifex maximus.

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Rome's language, Latin,
lived on as the language

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of Europe's educated elite.

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Towering ancient monuments
were now capped

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not by Roman emperors,
but by Christian saints.

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And rather than Caesar,

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it was Christ ruling
from the all-powerful throne.

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As Christianity spread
across Europe,

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monasteries and convents,
communities of men and women

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who dedicated their lives to
the service of God, flourished.

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In the darkest days
of the early Middle Ages,

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when almost no one
could read or write,

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it was monks who were the
scribes and scholars of Europe.

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Many of these educated elites

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lived in the remote
westernmost corner of Europe.

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In fact, Ireland was nicknamed
the Isle of Saints and Scholars.

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The earliest monastic
communities were small,

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fortified hamlets of humble huts
built like stone igloos.

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1,200 years ago,
those Irish monks stacked stones

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to build chapels like this.

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Its finally-fitted walls,
stone without mortar,

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still keep out the rain.

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Monks lived simple lives
of work and prayer.

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More educated than most,

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they kept alive or developed
early technology

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like metalworking.

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Their most important task

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was meticulously
copying sacred texts.

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In a mostly illiterate world,

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these monks preserved
the knowledge of ancient times

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with beautifully
illustrated books

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called illuminated manuscripts.

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Copying books by hand
was painstaking work.

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Ornamenting these pages
was an opportunity for the monks

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to exercise
their artistic creativity.

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They went to great lengths
using powders from crushed bugs

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and precious stones
to get the most vivid colors.

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They wrote on vellum,
calfskin scraped with a knife.

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This holy book incorporates
both Christian imagery

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and pagan motifs from
the indigenous Celtic culture.

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With their hard work,
education, and artistic flair,

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these monks were keeping
literacy alive

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for Western civilization

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while creating some of
the finest art of the age.

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Eventually, the monastic
movement spread across Europe,

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growing big, rich, and powerful.

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Monasteries,
housing thousands of monks,

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were part
of a vast Christian network

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that stretched
from Rome to Scotland.

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Giving the fragmented continent
some cohesiveness,

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they helped set the stage
for a new era.

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As the year 1000 approached,
the Europe we know was emerging.

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Roaming tribes
were settling down,

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starting to define the nations
we've come to know.

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The Francs were becoming France,

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and the Angles were becoming
Angleland, or England.

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People felt secure enough to
plan and build for the future.

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Europeans were uniting
around the Christian faith.

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People were traveling
and trading more.

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Roads and bridges were built.

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Industrious businessmen
invested in mills,

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harnessing wind and water power.

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Humble hamlets of thatched huts
in wattle and daub

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became formidable towns

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fortified behind
protective walls

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with fine buildings of stone.

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All this progress was reflected

07:36.766 --> 07:39.166 align:start position:15% line:79.33% size:67.5%
in the art and architecture
of the age.

07:39.233 --> 07:41.166 align:start position:10% line:84.66% size:77.5%
With Christianity now dominant,

07:41.233 --> 07:43.800 align:start position:20% line:79.33% size:57.5%
the grandest structures
in town were churches,

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and they were adorned with
the community's finest art,

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done in the first art style
to feel proudly European --

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Romanesque.

07:54.800 --> 07:56.733 align:start position:20% line:10% size:60%
It was called Romanesque

07:56.800 --> 08:00.366 align:start position:15% line:10% size:67.5%
because it tried to capture
the grandeur of ancient Rome.

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Churches featured
round Roman-style arches,

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Roman-style columns,
and often even ancient columns

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scavenged from Roman ruins
and recycled.

08:12.433 --> 08:14.100 align:start position:17.5% line:84.66% size:62.5%
Church architects adopted

08:14.166 --> 08:16.900 align:start position:17.5% line:79.33% size:65%
the pre-Christian basilica
floor plan,

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like the surviving footprint

08:18.433 --> 08:22.866 align:start position:22.5% line:79.33% size:52.5%
of this ancient Roman
court of law, or basilica.

08:22.933 --> 08:25.733 align:start position:17.5% line:79.33% size:65%
It was a rectangular space
with side aisles

08:25.800 --> 08:29.000 align:start position:27.5% line:79.33% size:45%
and a central nave
defined by rows of columns

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leading to the altar.

08:33.366 --> 08:34.966 align:start position:25% line:84.66% size:50%
By adding transepts,

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the building's footprint
becomes the shape of a cross.

08:39.366 --> 08:43.966 align:start position:10% line:79.33% size:80%
Romanesque churches had the same
basic features all over Europe.

08:44.033 --> 08:47.733 align:start position:27.5% line:79.33% size:42.5%
They were sturdy,
with thick walls, squat towers,

08:47.800 --> 08:51.200 align:start position:27.5% line:84.66% size:45%
and small windows.

08:51.266 --> 08:54.333 align:start position:27.5% line:84.66% size:45%
They stood strong.

08:54.400 --> 08:56.966 align:start position:25% line:79.33% size:47.5%
Many even came with
crenellations,

08:57.033 --> 09:00.800 align:start position:20% line:84.66% size:60%
as if fortresses of God.

09:00.866 --> 09:03.433 align:start position:22.5% line:79.33% size:55%
This Romanesque church
in France,

09:03.500 --> 09:06.700 align:start position:20% line:79.33% size:57.5%
built by a particularly
austere monastic order,

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is simple,
with a plain facade

09:09.300 --> 09:13.766 align:start position:22.5% line:79.33% size:55%
and unadorned columns,
nothing to distract from prayer.

09:13.833 --> 09:16.000 align:start position:12.5% line:84.66% size:72.5%
The lone statue is a reminder

09:16.066 --> 09:20.166 align:start position:30% line:79.33% size:37.5%
that the church
was dedicated to Mary.

09:20.233 --> 09:23.300 align:start position:27.5% line:79.33% size:42.5%
An ethereal light
still bathes the interior.

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♪♪

09:26.533 --> 09:29.866 align:start position:20% line:10% size:57.5%
This church in Florence
adds another Romanesque feature

09:29.933 --> 09:31.366 align:start position:27.5% line:10% size:45%
common in Italy --

09:31.433 --> 09:35.400 align:start position:22.5% line:10% size:52.5%
finely-crafted marble
in perfect geometric symmetry,

09:35.466 --> 09:38.466 align:start position:35% line:79.33% size:27.5%
symbolizing
the perfection of God.

09:38.533 --> 09:41.833 align:start position:30% line:79.33% size:40%
The eagle on top
with bags of wool in its talons

09:41.900 --> 09:44.166 align:start position:27.5% line:79.33% size:45%
reminds worshipers
who paid for it all --

09:44.233 --> 09:46.233 align:start position:30% line:84.66% size:37.5%
the wool guild.

09:48.600 --> 09:54.633 align:start position:17.5% line:79.33% size:65%
Stepping inside, you enter
an exquisite holy space,

09:54.700 --> 09:58.266 align:start position:10% line:84.66% size:77.5%
with its carpet of marble floor

09:58.333 --> 10:01.800 align:start position:22.5% line:79.33% size:55%
and colorfully-painted
wood ceiling.

10:01.866 --> 10:05.000 align:start position:15% line:79.33% size:70%
Asserting the church's power
over secular society,

10:05.066 --> 10:07.900 align:start position:27.5% line:79.33% size:42.5%
the golden mosaic
shows an Earthly king

10:07.966 --> 10:14.100 align:start position:15% line:79.33% size:70%
offering his paltry crown to
the all-powerful king in Heaven.

10:14.166 --> 10:17.033 align:start position:30% line:10% size:37.5%
And in England,
for nearly 1,000 years,

10:17.100 --> 10:21.000 align:start position:12.5% line:10% size:75%
pilgrims have set their sights
on this Romanesque wonder --

10:21.066 --> 10:23.933 align:start position:27.5% line:10% size:42.5%
Durham Cathedral.

10:24.000 --> 10:28.066 align:start position:10% line:79.33% size:80%
Standing like a mighty fortress,
the church is a classic example

10:28.133 --> 10:32.733 align:start position:22.5% line:79.33% size:55%
of the English version
of Romanesque called Norman.

10:32.800 --> 10:34.866 align:start position:22.5% line:84.66% size:52.5%
Named for the Normans

10:34.933 --> 10:37.666 align:start position:25% line:79.33% size:47.5%
who invaded England
in 1066 from France,

10:37.733 --> 10:40.833 align:start position:22.5% line:79.33% size:55%
bringing that dominant
European style with them,

10:40.900 --> 10:43.333 align:start position:25% line:79.33% size:47.5%
this style features
round arches,

10:43.400 --> 10:47.433 align:start position:25% line:79.33% size:47.5%
zigzag decorations,
and soaring bell towers.

10:47.500 --> 10:51.366 align:start position:47.5% line:10% size:5%
♪♪

10:51.433 --> 10:54.633 align:start position:27.5% line:79.33% size:42.5%
The church honors
Saint Cuthbert.

10:54.700 --> 10:57.166 align:start position:22.5% line:84.66% size:52.5%
Pondering his coffin,

10:57.233 --> 11:01.633 align:start position:27.5% line:79.33% size:42.5%
embroidered sash,
and exquisite cross,

11:01.700 --> 11:04.666 align:start position:15% line:79.33% size:70%
you remember all those monks
who kept the flame of knowledge

11:04.733 --> 11:08.300 align:start position:20% line:79.33% size:60%
flickering through those
early medieval centuries,

11:08.366 --> 11:11.633 align:start position:17.5% line:79.33% size:62.5%
making Romanesque marvels
like the Durham Cathedral

11:11.700 --> 11:14.400 align:start position:37.5% line:84.66% size:22.5%
possible.

11:14.466 --> 11:17.900 align:start position:17.5% line:79.33% size:65%
Pisa's Cathedral in Italy,
dating from the year 1100,

11:17.966 --> 11:19.966 align:start position:27.5% line:79.33% size:45%
had evolved beyond
the traditional

11:20.033 --> 11:22.300 align:start position:22.5% line:84.66% size:55%
heavy Romanesque feel.

11:22.366 --> 11:25.933 align:start position:15% line:79.33% size:70%
Pisan Romanesque feels light
and elegant.

11:26.000 --> 11:28.433 align:start position:17.5% line:84.66% size:62.5%
Pisa's Cathedral complex,

11:28.500 --> 11:30.566 align:start position:37.5% line:79.33% size:25%
famous for
its leaning bell tower,

11:30.633 --> 11:33.933 align:start position:15% line:79.33% size:70%
is a reminder that in cities
across medieval Europe,

11:34.000 --> 11:37.800 align:start position:15% line:79.33% size:67.5%
you found the same ensemble
of important structures --

11:37.866 --> 11:40.833 align:start position:35% line:84.66% size:27.5%
the church,

11:40.900 --> 11:45.133 align:start position:10% line:79.33% size:80%
the bell tower, which, even when
tipsy, set the tempo of life,

11:45.200 --> 11:47.400 align:start position:27.5% line:79.33% size:45%
marking the hours,
the festivals,

11:47.466 --> 11:51.000 align:start position:25% line:79.33% size:50%
the call to worship,
and the baptistery.

11:53.033 --> 11:56.133 align:start position:27.5% line:79.33% size:45%
Pisa's baptistery,
like so many from this period,

11:56.200 --> 11:58.166 align:start position:30% line:84.66% size:40%
is freestanding.

11:58.233 --> 12:01.300 align:start position:22.5% line:79.33% size:55%
Its interior is simple
and spacious.

12:01.366 --> 12:03.466 align:start position:20% line:79.33% size:57.5%
The finely-crafted font
is plenty big

12:03.533 --> 12:06.300 align:start position:25% line:79.33% size:50%
for baptizing adults
by immersion.

12:06.366 --> 12:08.800 align:start position:15% line:79.33% size:67.5%
Imagine a religious service
sung here,

12:08.866 --> 12:11.333 align:start position:35% line:79.33% size:30%
amplified by
the remarkable acoustics,

12:11.400 --> 12:13.433 align:start position:25% line:79.33% size:47.5%
resulting in echoes
long enough

12:13.500 --> 12:16.800 align:start position:30% line:79.33% size:37.5%
to let you sing
three-part harmony solo.

12:16.866 --> 12:20.766 align:start position:15% line:84.66% size:67.5%
-[ Echoing ] ♪ Oh, oh, oh ♪

12:20.833 --> 12:23.733 align:start position:47.5% line:10% size:5%
♪♪

12:23.800 --> 12:31.333 align:start position:40% line:10% size:17.5%
♪ Ohh ♪

12:31.400 --> 12:34.900 align:start position:10% line:79.33% size:80%
-Romanesque churches were filled
with beautiful art,

12:34.966 --> 12:37.433 align:start position:10% line:84.66% size:77.5%
and that art served the church.

12:37.500 --> 12:39.900 align:start position:10% line:84.66% size:77.5%
As most people were illiterate,

12:39.966 --> 12:41.766 align:start position:12.5% line:84.66% size:75%
pictures and symbols were used

12:41.833 --> 12:44.933 align:start position:22.5% line:79.33% size:55%
to teach and celebrate
the Christian message.

12:45.000 --> 12:47.366 align:start position:25% line:79.33% size:47.5%
The art didn't have
to be realistic

12:47.433 --> 12:51.000 align:start position:37.5% line:79.33% size:25%
as long as
it inspired worship.

12:51.066 --> 12:54.433 align:start position:25% line:79.33% size:47.5%
The physical church
was a sermon in stone.

12:54.500 --> 12:57.300 align:start position:17.5% line:84.66% size:65%
The entrance set the tone.

12:57.366 --> 13:01.666 align:start position:20% line:79.33% size:57.5%
Carved scenes were flat
or in low relief and cluttered,

13:01.733 --> 13:04.133 align:start position:17.5% line:84.66% size:62.5%
images that told a story.

13:06.166 --> 13:10.166 align:start position:10% line:79.33% size:77.5%
While today Romanesque churches
have plain stone walls,

13:10.233 --> 13:12.566 align:start position:12.5% line:84.66% size:72.5%
many were originally painted.

13:15.166 --> 13:17.400 align:start position:25% line:79.33% size:47.5%
Paintings were full
of symbolism,

13:17.466 --> 13:19.366 align:start position:12.5% line:84.66% size:72.5%
showing saints not inhabiting

13:19.433 --> 13:22.566 align:start position:10% line:79.33% size:80%
the dark, cold, and sinful world
on Earth,

13:22.633 --> 13:26.400 align:start position:17.5% line:84.66% size:65%
but in an ethereal Heaven.

13:26.466 --> 13:30.633 align:start position:25% line:79.33% size:47.5%
Romanesque painting
had a mystical kind of beauty.

13:30.700 --> 13:34.466 align:start position:15% line:79.33% size:70%
Here, it's the Annunciation,
as the angel announces to Mary

13:34.533 --> 13:38.600 align:start position:27.5% line:79.33% size:42.5%
she'll give birth
to the Messiah.

13:38.666 --> 13:42.766 align:start position:12.5% line:79.33% size:72.5%
All of nature, including goat
herders in 11th-century attire,

13:42.833 --> 13:45.000 align:start position:25% line:84.66% size:50%
celebrates the news.

13:46.966 --> 13:53.800 align:start position:22.5% line:79.33% size:55%
Christ's life unfolds,
ending with the crucifixion.

13:53.866 --> 13:57.333 align:start position:30% line:79.33% size:37.5%
And his return,
triumphant over death,

13:57.400 --> 14:01.300 align:start position:25% line:79.33% size:50%
sitting on a rainbow
and blessing all who gather.

14:01.366 --> 14:04.333 align:start position:12.5% line:84.66% size:75%
At the high altar stands Jesus

14:04.400 --> 14:06.733 align:start position:37.5% line:79.33% size:22.5%
alongside
his ever popular mother,

14:06.800 --> 14:10.233 align:start position:17.5% line:79.33% size:62.5%
known as the Virgin Mary,
Madonna, or Our Lady.

14:10.300 --> 14:12.633 align:start position:30% line:79.33% size:40%
More Notre Dame,
she was a compassionate

14:12.700 --> 14:14.300 align:start position:20% line:84.66% size:60%
and approachable figure,

14:14.366 --> 14:18.066 align:start position:17.5% line:79.33% size:65%
one that medieval peasants
could pray to for help.

14:18.133 --> 14:21.566 align:start position:20% line:79.33% size:60%
Other imagery showed how
the powerful church legitimized

14:21.633 --> 14:25.700 align:start position:17.5% line:79.33% size:62.5%
the secular ruler, Christ
actually crowning the King.

14:25.766 --> 14:29.333 align:start position:15% line:79.33% size:67.5%
They were partners in power
and, many would say,

14:29.400 --> 14:33.000 align:start position:25% line:79.33% size:47.5%
partners conspiring
to keep the masses down.

14:35.500 --> 14:37.766 align:start position:32.5% line:79.33% size:35%
This so-called
crown of Charlemagne,

14:37.833 --> 14:40.433 align:start position:22.5% line:79.33% size:52.5%
who, in the year 800,
was Europe's greatest ruler,

14:40.500 --> 14:42.333 align:start position:27.5% line:79.33% size:42.5%
came with a cross
and the message,

14:42.400 --> 14:45.766 align:start position:37.5% line:79.33% size:22.5%
in Latin,
"By Christ, kings reign."

14:45.833 --> 14:49.133 align:start position:47.5% line:10% size:5%
♪♪

14:49.200 --> 14:51.766 align:start position:15% line:79.33% size:67.5%
Throughout the Middle Ages,
in the Romanesque age,

14:51.833 --> 14:54.000 align:start position:17.5% line:79.33% size:62.5%
as well as the Gothic age
that followed,

14:54.066 --> 14:57.166 align:start position:32.5% line:84.66% size:32.5%
art inspired,

14:57.233 --> 15:01.766 align:start position:32.5% line:79.33% size:32.5%
it comforted,
and it frightened.

15:04.333 --> 15:08.900 align:start position:17.5% line:79.33% size:65%
Vivid Last Judgment scenes
scared people into faithfulness.

15:08.966 --> 15:10.500 align:start position:25% line:79.33% size:47.5%
They showed the end
of the world,

15:10.566 --> 15:15.400 align:start position:15% line:79.33% size:67.5%
when Christ passes judgment
on all humankind,

15:15.466 --> 15:19.333 align:start position:25% line:79.33% size:47.5%
giving the ultimate
thumbs-up or thumbs-down.

15:19.400 --> 15:22.666 align:start position:10% line:84.66% size:77.5%
The righteous rise up to Heaven

15:22.733 --> 15:24.700 align:start position:12.5% line:84.66% size:75%
while the wicked are cast down

15:24.766 --> 15:28.800 align:start position:12.5% line:79.33% size:75%
into a horrible, horrible Hell
ruled by the Devil.

15:28.866 --> 15:33.300 align:start position:20% line:79.33% size:60%
There, they're tormented
for eternity by demons,

15:33.366 --> 15:39.933 align:start position:15% line:79.33% size:70%
eaten by ogres, and excreted
in an eternally miserable cycle.

15:40.000 --> 15:42.266 align:start position:32.5% line:79.33% size:32.5%
Across Europe
and through the centuries,

15:42.333 --> 15:46.866 align:start position:17.5% line:79.33% size:65%
peasants were made fearful
by this powerful art,

15:46.933 --> 15:49.800 align:start position:25% line:79.33% size:47.5%
subjected at church
to such vivid visions

15:49.866 --> 15:52.633 align:start position:30% line:79.33% size:37.5%
from the moment
they walked through the door.

15:55.433 --> 15:58.000 align:start position:15% line:79.33% size:67.5%
In the centuries leading up
to this Romanesque age,

15:58.066 --> 16:00.500 align:start position:20% line:79.33% size:57.5%
feudal Europe was mired
in the relative darkness

16:00.566 --> 16:02.400 align:start position:17.5% line:84.66% size:62.5%
of the early Middle Ages.

16:02.466 --> 16:06.400 align:start position:15% line:79.33% size:67.5%
But sophisticated societies
thrived to the East and South.

16:06.466 --> 16:08.533 align:start position:25% line:79.33% size:50%
Shining like beacons
of enlightenment,

16:08.600 --> 16:12.300 align:start position:20% line:79.33% size:60%
they inspired and fueled
Western Europe's progress.

16:12.366 --> 16:14.633 align:start position:15% line:84.66% size:70%
Way back in the 5th century,

16:14.700 --> 16:17.266 align:start position:30% line:79.33% size:40%
the Roman Empire
had fallen in the West,

16:17.333 --> 16:19.233 align:start position:15% line:10% size:70%
but it lived on in the East,

16:19.300 --> 16:22.800 align:start position:25% line:10% size:47.5%
eventually becoming
the Byzantine Empire.

16:22.866 --> 16:24.800 align:start position:12.5% line:10% size:72.5%
Byzantium remained Christian,

16:24.866 --> 16:27.200 align:start position:30% line:10% size:37.5%
and its capital
was Constantinople,

16:27.266 --> 16:29.233 align:start position:27.5% line:10% size:42.5%
today's Istanbul.

16:29.300 --> 16:31.466 align:start position:37.5% line:79.33% size:25%
Throughout
the early Middle Ages,

16:31.533 --> 16:34.200 align:start position:20% line:79.33% size:60%
with its imposing walls,
for centuries,

16:34.266 --> 16:36.966 align:start position:15% line:79.33% size:67.5%
Constantinople was Europe's
leading city,

16:37.033 --> 16:38.500 align:start position:25% line:84.66% size:50%
ruling a vast empire

16:38.566 --> 16:41.866 align:start position:25% line:79.33% size:47.5%
that was relatively
prosperous and stable.

16:44.066 --> 16:47.000 align:start position:25% line:10% size:50%
While Western Europe
built nothing nearly as grand

16:47.066 --> 16:48.366 align:start position:25% line:10% size:47.5%
during this period,

16:48.433 --> 16:52.166 align:start position:17.5% line:10% size:65%
Constantinople constructed
this magnificent church,

16:52.233 --> 16:53.666 align:start position:32.5% line:10% size:32.5%
Hagia Sophia.

16:53.733 --> 16:57.233 align:start position:12.5% line:79.33% size:72.5%
The minarets were added later
when it became a mosque.

16:57.300 --> 17:00.966 align:start position:17.5% line:79.33% size:62.5%
Built around the year 500
on the grandest scale possible,

17:01.033 --> 17:04.866 align:start position:32.5% line:79.33% size:32.5%
it symbolizes
Byzantium's glory days.

17:04.933 --> 17:07.033 align:start position:10% line:84.66% size:77.5%
They used ingenious technology,

17:07.100 --> 17:09.900 align:start position:22.5% line:79.33% size:55%
a massive central dome
supported by half domes

17:09.966 --> 17:11.833 align:start position:12.5% line:84.66% size:72.5%
that was the biggest anywhere

17:11.900 --> 17:15.633 align:start position:22.5% line:79.33% size:52.5%
and remained that way
for nearly 1,000 years.

17:15.700 --> 17:17.966 align:start position:32.5% line:79.33% size:32.5%
While a place
of Muslim worship today,

17:18.033 --> 17:21.766 align:start position:15% line:79.33% size:67.5%
for centuries, Hagia Sophia
functioned as a church,

17:21.833 --> 17:27.100 align:start position:17.5% line:79.33% size:65%
perhaps the most exquisite
church in all of Christendom.

17:27.166 --> 17:29.433 align:start position:12.5% line:79.33% size:72.5%
The church tried to re-create
the glory

17:29.500 --> 17:31.433 align:start position:20% line:84.66% size:60%
of the Byzantine Heaven.

17:31.500 --> 17:33.500 align:start position:27.5% line:79.33% size:42.5%
The vast interior
gives the impression

17:33.566 --> 17:35.733 align:start position:35% line:79.33% size:30%
of a golden,
weightless shell,

17:35.800 --> 17:39.733 align:start position:22.5% line:79.33% size:52.5%
gracefully disguising
the massive overhead load.

17:39.800 --> 17:43.566 align:start position:22.5% line:79.33% size:55%
40 arched windows shed
a soft light on the interior,

17:43.633 --> 17:46.833 align:start position:17.5% line:79.33% size:62.5%
showing off the venerable
building's Christian legacy

17:46.900 --> 17:49.400 align:start position:30% line:79.33% size:40%
that has endured
the test of time.

17:49.466 --> 17:57.900 align:start position:47.5% line:10% size:5%
♪♪

17:57.966 --> 18:00.400 align:start position:17.5% line:79.33% size:65%
The Italian city of Venice
is a reminder

18:00.466 --> 18:03.733 align:start position:10% line:79.33% size:80%
that the more advanced Byzantine
culture reached westward,

18:03.800 --> 18:05.333 align:start position:30% line:84.66% size:40%
far into Europe.

18:05.400 --> 18:08.133 align:start position:25% line:79.33% size:50%
In the 11th century,
St. Mark's Basilica

18:08.200 --> 18:11.500 align:start position:30% line:79.33% size:37.5%
was topped with
Byzantine-style domes.

18:11.566 --> 18:16.300 align:start position:20% line:79.33% size:57.5%
Its decoration reflects
that connection with the East.

18:16.366 --> 18:19.200 align:start position:12.5% line:79.33% size:75%
The basilica's fanciful facade
is decorated

18:19.266 --> 18:21.633 align:start position:20% line:79.33% size:57.5%
with mismatched columns
and statues,

18:21.700 --> 18:25.633 align:start position:10% line:79.33% size:80%
which were largely pillaged from
elsewhere during the Crusades.

18:25.700 --> 18:29.466 align:start position:37.5% line:79.33% size:25%
The style?
I'd call it early ransack.

18:29.533 --> 18:33.300 align:start position:12.5% line:79.33% size:75%
A good example of such plunder
is this ancient Roman statue

18:33.366 --> 18:35.100 align:start position:17.5% line:84.66% size:65%
carved of purple porphyry,

18:35.166 --> 18:41.033 align:start position:17.5% line:79.33% size:62.5%
a precious stone quarried
in Egypt and symbolic of power.

18:41.100 --> 18:43.866 align:start position:20% line:79.33% size:60%
By the way, the Crusades
were a big deal

18:43.933 --> 18:46.266 align:start position:30% line:79.33% size:40%
back in the 12th
and 13th centuries.

18:46.333 --> 18:49.200 align:start position:22.5% line:79.33% size:52.5%
Lots of important art
was pillaged from Constantinople

18:49.266 --> 18:51.433 align:start position:20% line:84.66% size:57.5%
by rampaging Crusaders,

18:51.500 --> 18:54.600 align:start position:15% line:79.33% size:67.5%
those Christian armies that
stormed through Muslim territory

18:54.666 --> 18:57.966 align:start position:12.5% line:79.33% size:72.5%
in a series of religious wars
through much of the Middle Ages.

18:58.033 --> 18:59.800 align:start position:25% line:79.33% size:47.5%
While their mission
was to be sure

18:59.866 --> 19:03.333 align:start position:12.5% line:79.33% size:72.5%
Christian pilgrims had access
to their Holy Land in Jerusalem,

19:03.400 --> 19:06.966 align:start position:15% line:79.33% size:67.5%
the so-called holy crusades
often got sidetracked

19:07.033 --> 19:10.766 align:start position:20% line:79.33% size:57.5%
with the rape, pillage,
and plunder dimensions of war.

19:10.833 --> 19:12.966 align:start position:20% line:79.33% size:60%
Of all the plundered art
in this church,

19:13.033 --> 19:15.866 align:start position:17.5% line:79.33% size:65%
perhaps the grandest prize
was a set of horses

19:15.933 --> 19:18.133 align:start position:30% line:79.33% size:40%
which overlooked
Venice's main square.

19:18.200 --> 19:21.433 align:start position:10% line:79.33% size:77.5%
The precious originals, like so
much of Europe's greatest art,

19:21.500 --> 19:25.600 align:start position:30% line:79.33% size:37.5%
are now inside,
safely out of the elements.

19:25.666 --> 19:28.000 align:start position:27.5% line:79.33% size:45%
These much-coveted
and exquisitely-cast

19:28.066 --> 19:30.666 align:start position:20% line:79.33% size:60%
ancient bronze horses --
so realistic --

19:30.733 --> 19:33.100 align:start position:15% line:84.66% size:70%
are certainly well-traveled.

19:33.166 --> 19:35.100 align:start position:25% line:84.66% size:50%
According to legend,

19:35.166 --> 19:37.566 align:start position:15% line:79.33% size:70%
they were made for the Greek
ruler Alexander the Great

19:37.633 --> 19:40.266 align:start position:22.5% line:84.66% size:55%
in the 4th century BC,

19:40.333 --> 19:42.333 align:start position:12.5% line:84.66% size:75%
taken by Emperor Nero to Rome,

19:42.400 --> 19:45.800 align:start position:15% line:79.33% size:67.5%
and then brought by Emperor
Constantine to Constantinople,

19:45.866 --> 19:48.466 align:start position:15% line:79.33% size:70%
where the Venetian Crusaders
stole them, took them home,

19:48.533 --> 19:51.366 align:start position:25% line:79.33% size:50%
and parked them here
in their main church.

19:51.433 --> 19:55.133 align:start position:47.5% line:10% size:5%
♪♪

19:55.200 --> 19:57.500 align:start position:15% line:84.66% size:70%
The church's entire interior

19:57.566 --> 20:00.266 align:start position:32.5% line:79.33% size:32.5%
glitters with
gold-leaf mosaic work.

20:00.333 --> 20:02.066 align:start position:15% line:84.66% size:67.5%
In good medieval tradition,

20:02.133 --> 20:06.433 align:start position:27.5% line:79.33% size:42.5%
it's slathered in
the predictable Bible stories.

20:06.500 --> 20:09.100 align:start position:17.5% line:79.33% size:65%
The story of Adam and Eve,
one of the most popular,

20:09.166 --> 20:12.233 align:start position:10% line:84.66% size:77.5%
unfolds like a cartoon strip --

20:12.300 --> 20:15.033 align:start position:15% line:84.66% size:67.5%
Adam, lonely in the garden,

20:15.100 --> 20:19.333 align:start position:25% line:79.33% size:50%
the creation of Eve,
and then trouble,

20:19.400 --> 20:25.100 align:start position:22.5% line:79.33% size:55%
from apple to fig leaf
to banishment.

20:25.166 --> 20:28.600 align:start position:15% line:79.33% size:70%
The Venetians learned mosaic
technique from the Byzantines,

20:28.666 --> 20:30.933 align:start position:30% line:79.33% size:40%
who inherited it
from the ancient Romans

20:31.000 --> 20:34.766 align:start position:22.5% line:79.33% size:55%
who paved their villas
with mosaics.

20:34.833 --> 20:37.200 align:start position:20% line:79.33% size:60%
The Byzantines perfected
the gold color,

20:37.266 --> 20:40.133 align:start position:22.5% line:79.33% size:52.5%
made of bits of glass
with gold leaf baked in.

20:40.200 --> 20:42.233 align:start position:17.5% line:84.66% size:62.5%
These reflected the light

20:42.300 --> 20:45.200 align:start position:27.5% line:79.33% size:45%
to help illuminate
an otherwise dark church,

20:45.266 --> 20:49.666 align:start position:17.5% line:79.33% size:62.5%
giving it the golden glow
of the Byzantine Heaven.

20:49.733 --> 20:52.266 align:start position:17.5% line:79.33% size:65%
St. Mark's Byzantine-style
altarpiece

20:52.333 --> 20:54.133 align:start position:15% line:84.66% size:67.5%
is a stunning wall of gold,

20:54.200 --> 20:58.433 align:start position:12.5% line:79.33% size:72.5%
studded with precious rubies,
emeralds, and pearls.

20:58.500 --> 21:03.000 align:start position:10% line:79.33% size:77.5%
Some 200 enamels plundered from
Constantinople depict prophets,

21:03.066 --> 21:05.433 align:start position:25% line:84.66% size:47.5%
saints, and angels.

21:05.500 --> 21:08.400 align:start position:17.5% line:79.33% size:65%
And in the glorious center
of it all sits Christ,

21:08.466 --> 21:11.133 align:start position:20% line:84.66% size:60%
the ruler of the cosmos.

21:11.200 --> 21:13.400 align:start position:22.5% line:84.66% size:55%
With its stunning art,

21:13.466 --> 21:17.500 align:start position:10% line:79.33% size:77.5%
St. Mark's Basilica is a vision
of a highly-cultured world

21:17.566 --> 21:19.633 align:start position:17.5% line:79.33% size:62.5%
that had been established
by the Romans,

21:19.700 --> 21:21.766 align:start position:10% line:84.66% size:80%
was preserved by the Byzantines,

21:21.833 --> 21:26.800 align:start position:15% line:79.33% size:67.5%
and was now being reinfused
into Western Europe.

21:26.866 --> 21:28.900 align:start position:37.5% line:79.33% size:25%
Meanwhile,
in the Southwest of Europe,

21:28.966 --> 21:31.666 align:start position:27.5% line:79.33% size:45%
the world of Islam
was shining a highly-cultured

21:31.733 --> 21:34.466 align:start position:22.5% line:79.33% size:52.5%
and influential light
into medieval Europe.

21:34.533 --> 21:37.033 align:start position:30% line:79.33% size:40%
In the year 711,
North African Muslims

21:37.100 --> 21:40.200 align:start position:10% line:79.33% size:80%
crossed the Strait of Gibraltar,
conquering and converting.

21:40.266 --> 21:42.233 align:start position:12.5% line:84.66% size:72.5%
For the next seven centuries,

21:42.300 --> 21:45.633 align:start position:20% line:79.33% size:57.5%
much of Spain was ruled
by these Moors.

21:45.700 --> 21:49.800 align:start position:15% line:10% size:70%
Cordoba was the leading city
of Muslim Spain.

21:49.866 --> 21:52.800 align:start position:17.5% line:10% size:65%
Arguably Europe's cultural
capital in the 9th century,

21:52.866 --> 21:57.100 align:start position:17.5% line:79.33% size:62.5%
it had, perhaps, 10 times
the population of Paris.

21:57.166 --> 21:59.000 align:start position:17.5% line:84.66% size:62.5%
Its massive former mosque

21:59.066 --> 22:02.766 align:start position:22.5% line:79.33% size:52.5%
dominates the tangled
medieval city that surrounds it.

22:02.833 --> 22:05.800 align:start position:35% line:79.33% size:27.5%
Grand gates
lead to the courtyard.

22:05.866 --> 22:08.333 align:start position:27.5% line:79.33% size:45%
Inside is a forest
of delicate columns

22:08.400 --> 22:13.500 align:start position:25% line:79.33% size:50%
and horseshoe arches
built 10 centuries ago.

22:13.566 --> 22:17.066 align:start position:15% line:79.33% size:67.5%
The columns and arches seem
to recede to infinity,

22:17.133 --> 22:20.200 align:start position:12.5% line:79.33% size:75%
as if reflecting the immensity
and complexity

22:20.266 --> 22:23.333 align:start position:27.5% line:84.66% size:45%
of God's creation.

22:23.400 --> 22:26.400 align:start position:22.5% line:79.33% size:55%
Under their rule, this
distinctive style of the Moors

22:26.466 --> 22:28.633 align:start position:27.5% line:79.33% size:42.5%
spread throughout
Southwestern Europe,

22:28.700 --> 22:32.733 align:start position:17.5% line:84.66% size:62.5%
or the Iberian Peninsula.

22:32.800 --> 22:37.033 align:start position:15% line:79.33% size:70%
Granada's Alhambra, the last
and greatest Moorish palace,

22:37.100 --> 22:40.433 align:start position:22.5% line:79.33% size:55%
shows off the splendor
of that Muslim civilization.

22:40.500 --> 22:43.800 align:start position:47.5% line:10% size:5%
♪♪

22:43.866 --> 22:46.566 align:start position:22.5% line:79.33% size:52.5%
The math necessary to
construct this palace

22:46.633 --> 22:49.066 align:start position:12.5% line:84.66% size:72.5%
dazzled Europeans of the age.

22:49.133 --> 22:58.000 align:start position:47.5% line:10% size:5%
♪♪

22:58.066 --> 23:00.166 align:start position:20% line:84.66% size:60%
The decor was exquisite,

23:00.233 --> 23:04.400 align:start position:20% line:79.33% size:57.5%
artfully combining both
engineering and esthetics --

23:04.466 --> 23:06.600 align:start position:30% line:84.66% size:40%
water and stone.

23:06.666 --> 23:09.633 align:start position:25% line:79.33% size:47.5%
In the throne room,
the sultan would sit regally

23:09.700 --> 23:12.733 align:start position:22.5% line:79.33% size:55%
under an awe-inspiring
wooden ceiling.

23:12.800 --> 23:16.800 align:start position:20% line:79.33% size:60%
With 8,000 pieces inlaid
like a giant jigsaw puzzle,

23:16.866 --> 23:21.666 align:start position:15% line:79.33% size:70%
it symbolizes the complexity
of Allah's infinite universe.

23:21.733 --> 23:24.433 align:start position:25% line:79.33% size:47.5%
Arabic calligraphy,
mostly poems

23:24.500 --> 23:29.066 align:start position:25% line:79.33% size:50%
and verses of praise
from the Koran, is everywhere.

23:29.133 --> 23:32.833 align:start position:12.5% line:79.33% size:75%
Muslims avoid making images of
living creatures in holy spaces,

23:32.900 --> 23:34.933 align:start position:15% line:84.66% size:70%
believing that's God's work.

23:35.000 --> 23:38.900 align:start position:25% line:79.33% size:47.5%
But decorating with
religious script is fine.

23:38.966 --> 23:42.333 align:start position:35% line:79.33% size:27.5%
One phrase,
"Only God is victorious,"

23:42.400 --> 23:44.533 align:start position:10% line:84.66% size:77.5%
is repeated thousands of times,

23:44.600 --> 23:49.733 align:start position:15% line:79.33% size:67.5%
as if a sacred visual chant
throughout the Alhambra.

23:49.800 --> 23:53.300 align:start position:17.5% line:79.33% size:65%
By the way, while churches
portray people like this,

23:53.366 --> 23:56.766 align:start position:12.5% line:79.33% size:75%
in mosques, rather than images
of saints and prophets,

23:56.833 --> 24:00.766 align:start position:12.5% line:79.33% size:75%
you'll see geometrical designs
and calligraphy.

24:00.833 --> 24:03.000 align:start position:10% line:84.66% size:80%
This explains why, historically,

24:03.066 --> 24:06.200 align:start position:17.5% line:79.33% size:62.5%
the Muslim world excelled
at non-figurative art,

24:06.266 --> 24:09.066 align:start position:15% line:79.33% size:70%
while artists from Christian
Europe focused on painting

24:09.133 --> 24:11.433 align:start position:12.5% line:84.66% size:72.5%
and sculpting the human form.

24:11.500 --> 24:14.233 align:start position:17.5% line:79.33% size:62.5%
Artful Arabic calligraphy
generally shows

24:14.300 --> 24:18.066 align:start position:20% line:79.33% size:57.5%
excerpts from the Koran
and quotes from Muhammad.

24:18.133 --> 24:20.833 align:start position:22.5% line:79.33% size:55%
As a church would show
portrayals of Jesus and God

24:20.900 --> 24:23.100 align:start position:27.5% line:79.33% size:42.5%
front and center,
in a mosque,

24:23.166 --> 24:26.000 align:start position:12.5% line:79.33% size:75%
elaborate medallions of script
high above the prayer niche

24:26.066 --> 24:28.600 align:start position:15% line:84.66% size:67.5%
read "Muhammad" or "Allah."

24:31.133 --> 24:34.700 align:start position:12.5% line:79.33% size:75%
Christian forces slowly pushed
the Moors back into Africa

24:34.766 --> 24:36.700 align:start position:22.5% line:84.66% size:55%
and reconquered Spain.

24:36.766 --> 24:38.466 align:start position:20% line:84.66% size:57.5%
With their Reconquista,

24:38.533 --> 24:40.733 align:start position:20% line:79.33% size:57.5%
Cordoba's mosque became
a Christian church,

24:40.800 --> 24:43.866 align:start position:27.5% line:79.33% size:45%
with a huge chapel
planted in its center.

24:43.933 --> 24:49.500 align:start position:20% line:79.33% size:60%
Seville's Alcazar Palace
soon housed Spanish kings.

24:49.566 --> 24:51.700 align:start position:12.5% line:84.66% size:75%
But even after the reconquest,

24:51.766 --> 24:55.033 align:start position:25% line:79.33% size:47.5%
as Moorish artisans
worked for Christian rulers,

24:55.100 --> 24:58.500 align:start position:27.5% line:79.33% size:45%
that Muslim legacy
lived on in Spain.

24:58.566 --> 25:02.700 align:start position:47.5% line:10% size:5%
♪♪

25:02.766 --> 25:04.666 align:start position:35% line:79.33% size:30%
With Muslims
on the southern fringe

25:04.733 --> 25:06.533 align:start position:15% line:84.66% size:67.5%
and Byzantines to the East,

25:06.600 --> 25:09.433 align:start position:20% line:79.33% size:60%
early medieval Europeans
had one more surprisingly

25:09.500 --> 25:12.233 align:start position:22.5% line:79.33% size:52.5%
sophisticated culture
on their northern border --

25:12.300 --> 25:14.800 align:start position:35% line:84.66% size:30%
the Vikings.

25:14.866 --> 25:17.133 align:start position:27.5% line:79.33% size:42.5%
Though best known
as fierce marauders,

25:17.200 --> 25:20.133 align:start position:22.5% line:79.33% size:52.5%
the Vikings were also
wide-ranging sea traders

25:20.200 --> 25:23.233 align:start position:27.5% line:79.33% size:45%
and hardy settlers
with their own artful culture,

25:23.300 --> 25:26.100 align:start position:10% line:79.33% size:77.5%
one that dated back well before
the 11th-century arrival

25:26.166 --> 25:29.700 align:start position:30% line:79.33% size:37.5%
of Christianity
to pagan times.

25:29.766 --> 25:32.000 align:start position:10% line:84.66% size:80%
Their remarkable ships are icons

25:32.066 --> 25:35.133 align:start position:20% line:79.33% size:60%
of those days of pillage
and plunder.

25:35.200 --> 25:38.766 align:start position:12.5% line:79.33% size:75%
In formidable boats like this,
finely crafted of oak,

25:38.833 --> 25:40.733 align:start position:10% line:84.66% size:77.5%
the Vikings ranged far and wide

25:40.800 --> 25:43.300 align:start position:20% line:79.33% size:57.5%
from their Scandinavian
homeland.

25:43.366 --> 25:46.566 align:start position:22.5% line:79.33% size:52.5%
Gazing up at the prow
of one of these sleek vessels,

25:46.633 --> 25:49.933 align:start position:17.5% line:79.33% size:65%
you can imagine the horror
peasants as far away as France,

25:50.000 --> 25:53.900 align:start position:12.5% line:79.33% size:72.5%
England, or Ireland felt when
those redheads on the rampage

25:53.966 --> 25:56.200 align:start position:22.5% line:84.66% size:55%
sailed up their river.

25:56.266 --> 25:58.466 align:start position:22.5% line:79.33% size:52.5%
It's often said that,
for generations,

25:58.533 --> 26:01.700 align:start position:22.5% line:79.33% size:52.5%
the standard close of
the prayers for many Europeans

26:01.766 --> 26:07.700 align:start position:10% line:79.33% size:77.5%
was not "amen" but "and deliver
us from the Norsemen -- amen."

26:09.066 --> 26:12.033 align:start position:22.5% line:79.33% size:52.5%
While feared raiders,
they also had a remarkable sense

26:12.100 --> 26:14.500 align:start position:22.5% line:84.66% size:52.5%
of beauty and design.

26:14.566 --> 26:19.866 align:start position:10% line:79.33% size:77.5%
That's clear in the excavations
of the graves of Viking rulers.

26:19.933 --> 26:22.066 align:start position:10% line:84.66% size:80%
The Vikings worshiped pagan gods

26:22.133 --> 26:25.300 align:start position:22.5% line:79.33% size:55%
and believed in a life
after death.

26:25.366 --> 26:28.900 align:start position:27.5% line:79.33% size:42.5%
And they believed
you could take it with you.

26:28.966 --> 26:31.133 align:start position:30% line:79.33% size:40%
In their graves,
archeologists have found

26:31.200 --> 26:33.866 align:start position:20% line:79.33% size:57.5%
everything from jewelry
to weapons,

26:33.933 --> 26:36.966 align:start position:30% line:79.33% size:37.5%
much of it with
an impressive artistic flair.

26:39.433 --> 26:41.800 align:start position:12.5% line:79.33% size:72.5%
Viking chieftains were buried
in their ships

26:41.866 --> 26:44.500 align:start position:15% line:84.66% size:70%
alongside their possessions,

26:44.566 --> 26:47.600 align:start position:12.5% line:84.66% size:75%
like fine leather accessories,

26:47.666 --> 26:50.433 align:start position:20% line:84.66% size:60%
ornately-carved sleighs,

26:50.500 --> 26:52.466 align:start position:25% line:84.66% size:50%
or even a horse cart

26:52.533 --> 26:57.600 align:start position:22.5% line:79.33% size:52.5%
decorated with scenes
from old Viking sagas.

26:57.666 --> 27:01.333 align:start position:22.5% line:79.33% size:55%
Their artistic objects
seemed to provide a link

27:01.400 --> 27:05.966 align:start position:10% line:84.66% size:80%
between this world and the next.

27:06.033 --> 27:08.033 align:start position:37.5% line:79.33% size:25%
Over time,
the Vikings intermingled

27:08.100 --> 27:11.400 align:start position:17.5% line:79.33% size:62.5%
with the Christian people
they previously terrorized.

27:11.466 --> 27:13.500 align:start position:10% line:84.66% size:77.5%
Eventually converted and tamed,

27:13.566 --> 27:16.066 align:start position:27.5% line:79.33% size:45%
Vikings redirected
their boatbuilding skills,

27:16.133 --> 27:19.166 align:start position:15% line:79.33% size:67.5%
and rather than sleek ships
to raid in,

27:19.233 --> 27:23.266 align:start position:10% line:79.33% size:77.5%
they built fine wooden churches
to pray in.

27:23.333 --> 27:28.000 align:start position:17.5% line:10% size:65%
There were once over 1,000
of these stave churches.

27:28.066 --> 27:30.266 align:start position:22.5% line:10% size:55%
Because little remains
from societies

27:30.333 --> 27:32.166 align:start position:12.5% line:10% size:72.5%
that built primarily of wood,

27:32.233 --> 27:36.533 align:start position:12.5% line:84.66% size:75%
few of these churches survive.

27:36.600 --> 27:40.000 align:start position:25% line:79.33% size:47.5%
They were supported
by pine poles, or staves,

27:40.066 --> 27:44.666 align:start position:27.5% line:79.33% size:45%
and slathered with
a protective coat of black tar.

27:44.733 --> 27:47.766 align:start position:12.5% line:84.66% size:72.5%
Wood was plentiful and cheap.

27:47.833 --> 27:49.700 align:start position:10% line:84.66% size:77.5%
While the basic design reflects

27:49.766 --> 27:51.900 align:start position:22.5% line:79.33% size:52.5%
the simple technology
of the age,

27:51.966 --> 27:54.200 align:start position:20% line:79.33% size:60%
more elaborate examples,
like this one,

27:54.266 --> 27:58.500 align:start position:15% line:79.33% size:70%
stand as proud testaments to
the Norse culture and its art.

27:58.566 --> 28:01.266 align:start position:12.5% line:84.66% size:75%
Carvings evoke the pagan roots

28:01.333 --> 28:05.200 align:start position:32.5% line:79.33% size:35%
of these early
Norwegian Christians.

28:05.266 --> 28:07.833 align:start position:27.5% line:79.33% size:42.5%
Stylized dragons,
reminiscent of those

28:07.900 --> 28:10.866 align:start position:10% line:79.33% size:77.5%
that once adorned Viking ships,
probably functioned

28:10.933 --> 28:16.333 align:start position:32.5% line:79.33% size:35%
like gargoyles
to keep evil spirits at bay.

28:16.400 --> 28:19.600 align:start position:12.5% line:79.33% size:75%
Interiors were stark and dark,
with tiny windows

28:19.666 --> 28:22.700 align:start position:12.5% line:79.33% size:72.5%
and simple "X"-shaped crosses
of Saint Andrew,

28:22.766 --> 28:25.300 align:start position:22.5% line:84.66% size:52.5%
a local patron saint.

28:25.366 --> 28:30.300 align:start position:15% line:79.33% size:70%
The architecture guides your
gaze upwards, toward Heaven.

28:30.366 --> 28:33.333 align:start position:25% line:79.33% size:50%
The Vikings were yet
another example

28:33.400 --> 28:36.833 align:start position:10% line:79.33% size:80%
of the blending of ancient pagan
and Christian culture

28:36.900 --> 28:40.700 align:start position:15% line:79.33% size:70%
that would eventually create
the Europe we know today.

28:40.766 --> 28:43.666 align:start position:47.5% line:10% size:5%
♪♪

28:43.733 --> 28:47.566 align:start position:27.5% line:79.33% size:42.5%
By the year 1000,
Europe was on the rise.

28:47.633 --> 28:49.800 align:start position:20% line:79.33% size:60%
Entering a period called
the High Middle Ages,

28:49.866 --> 28:53.633 align:start position:20% line:79.33% size:60%
it was a time of growing
innovation, trade, and travel.

28:53.700 --> 28:56.633 align:start position:12.5% line:79.33% size:75%
Christianity was dominant, and
people celebrated their faith

28:56.700 --> 28:58.900 align:start position:12.5% line:84.66% size:72.5%
by building great structures.

28:58.966 --> 29:02.300 align:start position:12.5% line:79.33% size:72.5%
The imposing Romanesque style
was eventually eclipsed

29:02.366 --> 29:05.800 align:start position:15% line:79.33% size:67.5%
by an even grander style --
Gothic.

29:05.866 --> 29:09.066 align:start position:15% line:10% size:67.5%
Gothic was an architectural
leap forward,

29:09.133 --> 29:12.233 align:start position:10% line:10% size:77.5%
with taller and taller churches
reaching for the heavens

29:12.300 --> 29:15.733 align:start position:37.5% line:10% size:25%
and filled
with more and more light.

29:15.800 --> 29:17.633 align:start position:22.5% line:84.66% size:55%
Fueled by their faith,

29:17.700 --> 29:21.900 align:start position:20% line:79.33% size:60%
Europeans built towering
cathedrals to the glory of God.

29:21.966 --> 29:25.566 align:start position:25% line:79.33% size:50%
Each community tried
to outdo the other,

29:25.633 --> 29:30.500 align:start position:32.5% line:79.33% size:32.5%
with churches
featuring soaring naves.

29:30.566 --> 29:33.400 align:start position:22.5% line:79.33% size:55%
Supported by elaborate
pointed arches

29:33.466 --> 29:35.333 align:start position:20% line:84.66% size:57.5%
and flooded with light,

29:35.400 --> 29:37.533 align:start position:12.5% line:84.66% size:75%
Gothic seemed to be emblematic

29:37.600 --> 29:42.066 align:start position:27.5% line:79.33% size:45%
of a Europe moving
upward and onward.

29:42.133 --> 29:45.766 align:start position:17.5% line:79.33% size:62.5%
The Gothic style was born
in France in the 12th century.

29:45.833 --> 29:48.766 align:start position:17.5% line:79.33% size:65%
The cathedral in Chartres,
one of the first, greatest,

29:48.833 --> 29:51.300 align:start position:25% line:79.33% size:50%
and most influential
Gothic churches,

29:51.366 --> 29:54.633 align:start position:25% line:79.33% size:47.5%
captures the spirit
of this Age of Faith,

29:54.700 --> 29:57.933 align:start position:27.5% line:79.33% size:45%
as the Middle Ages
were nicknamed.

29:58.000 --> 30:02.000 align:start position:15% line:79.33% size:67.5%
Magnificent structures were
built by the sweat of peasants,

30:02.066 --> 30:03.300 align:start position:22.5% line:84.66% size:52.5%
construction projects

30:03.366 --> 30:07.366 align:start position:22.5% line:79.33% size:52.5%
that dominated entire
communities for generations,

30:07.433 --> 30:10.400 align:start position:17.5% line:84.66% size:62.5%
all for the glory of God.

30:10.466 --> 30:12.733 align:start position:15% line:79.33% size:67.5%
Towering churches like this
became sites

30:12.800 --> 30:16.666 align:start position:22.5% line:79.33% size:52.5%
which, for centuries,
broke distant horizons,

30:16.733 --> 30:21.833 align:start position:15% line:79.33% size:70%
heartening the weary spirits
of approaching pilgrims.

30:21.900 --> 30:23.766 align:start position:15% line:84.66% size:67.5%
Gothic churches were taller

30:23.833 --> 30:26.000 align:start position:35% line:79.33% size:30%
and brighter
than the earlier Romanesque.

30:26.066 --> 30:28.466 align:start position:25% line:79.33% size:47.5%
They were made with
a skeleton of support.

30:28.533 --> 30:31.133 align:start position:27.5% line:79.33% size:42.5%
The key to Gothic
is the pointed arch.

30:31.200 --> 30:33.966 align:start position:15% line:79.33% size:70%
A Romanesque church is built
with round arches.

30:34.033 --> 30:36.566 align:start position:27.5% line:79.33% size:45%
With a round arch,
the weight pushes down,

30:36.633 --> 30:39.266 align:start position:20% line:79.33% size:60%
but with a pointed arch,
the weight pushes not down,

30:39.333 --> 30:40.533 align:start position:40% line:84.66% size:20%
but out.

30:40.600 --> 30:43.033 align:start position:30% line:79.33% size:40%
As a tour guide,
it's fun to demonstrate this

30:43.100 --> 30:46.433 align:start position:12.5% line:79.33% size:75%
by building a Gothic cathedral
out of tourists.

30:46.500 --> 30:48.700 align:start position:15% line:84.66% size:67.5%
You start with six columns.

30:48.766 --> 30:50.633 align:start position:27.5% line:79.33% size:45%
These will support
the roof with ribs --

30:50.700 --> 30:53.533 align:start position:15% line:79.33% size:67.5%
ignore the elbows -- coming
together with pointed arches.

30:53.600 --> 30:56.033 align:start position:27.5% line:79.33% size:42.5%
The key to Gothic
is the pointed arch.

30:56.100 --> 30:58.666 align:start position:15% line:79.33% size:70%
A Romanesque church is built
with round arches.

30:58.733 --> 31:01.366 align:start position:12.5% line:79.33% size:72.5%
With a round arch, the weight
sits squarely on the wall,

31:01.433 --> 31:03.066 align:start position:27.5% line:79.33% size:45%
and it needs to be
thick and strong.

31:03.133 --> 31:05.733 align:start position:17.5% line:79.33% size:65%
If a round arch collapses,
it falls down.

31:05.800 --> 31:07.400 align:start position:15% line:84.66% size:70%
But if you point the arches,

31:07.466 --> 31:11.066 align:start position:10% line:79.33% size:77.5%
suddenly the weight of the roof
pushes not down, but out.

31:11.133 --> 31:13.533 align:start position:15% line:79.33% size:67.5%
So rather than thick walls,
you need to buttress

31:13.600 --> 31:16.433 align:start position:35% line:79.33% size:30%
the building
by adding support pushing in.

31:16.500 --> 31:19.800 align:start position:12.5% line:79.33% size:72.5%
So you need six more tourists
to be buttresses.

31:19.866 --> 31:21.200 align:start position:15% line:84.66% size:67.5%
With buttresses rather than

31:21.266 --> 31:22.666 align:start position:35% line:79.33% size:27.5%
thick walls
supporting the church,

31:22.733 --> 31:25.333 align:start position:25% line:79.33% size:47.5%
the walls are freed
to become window holders,

31:25.400 --> 31:26.733 align:start position:22.5% line:84.66% size:55%
letting in more light.

31:26.800 --> 31:28.700 align:start position:37.5% line:79.33% size:25%
To free up
even more wall space,

31:28.766 --> 31:31.333 align:start position:15% line:79.33% size:67.5%
you can make the buttresses
flying buttresses,

31:31.400 --> 31:35.066 align:start position:15% line:79.33% size:70%
with their support flying in
with more arches.

31:35.133 --> 31:37.700 align:start position:10% line:79.33% size:77.5%
Are you guys ready for a spire?
-Yes, we are.

31:37.766 --> 31:39.633 align:start position:42.5% line:84.66% size:15%
-Okay.

31:39.700 --> 31:42.666 align:start position:12.5% line:79.33% size:72.5%
Now when the spire is raised,
because of the pointed arches,

31:42.733 --> 31:45.066 align:start position:25% line:79.33% size:47.5%
the weight goes out
rather than down.

31:45.133 --> 31:48.166 align:start position:12.5% line:79.33% size:72.5%
And with buttresses in place,
everything is solid.

31:48.233 --> 31:50.633 align:start position:15% line:79.33% size:67.5%
Windows can fill the spaces
between the columns.

31:50.700 --> 31:54.533 align:start position:10% line:79.33% size:80%
And you've built a Gothic church
out of tourists.

31:54.600 --> 31:56.500 align:start position:22.5% line:79.33% size:52.5%
All right, thank you.
-Yep.

31:56.566 --> 31:59.066 align:start position:30% line:79.33% size:37.5%
-That was good.
[ Applause ]

31:59.133 --> 32:02.866 align:start position:12.5% line:79.33% size:75%
-One more time, one more time,
one more time.

32:02.933 --> 32:06.766 align:start position:25% line:79.33% size:50%
-As the Gothic style
spread outward from France,

32:06.833 --> 32:10.700 align:start position:22.5% line:79.33% size:55%
Europe was soon dotted
with magnificent cathedrals.

32:10.766 --> 32:13.000 align:start position:32.5% line:79.33% size:35%
While each had
its own personality,

32:13.066 --> 32:17.633 align:start position:12.5% line:84.66% size:75%
all were fundamentally Gothic,

32:17.700 --> 32:20.733 align:start position:25% line:84.66% size:50%
with pointed arches,

32:20.800 --> 32:26.266 align:start position:22.5% line:79.33% size:55%
lots of stained glass,
and stately statues.

32:26.333 --> 32:29.033 align:start position:17.5% line:79.33% size:62.5%
Grand entrances came with
a heavenly host

32:29.100 --> 32:31.266 align:start position:17.5% line:84.66% size:62.5%
offering a stony welcome.

32:31.333 --> 32:35.766 align:start position:17.5% line:79.33% size:65%
And multitasking gargoyles
served as fancy rain spouts

32:35.833 --> 32:39.666 align:start position:20% line:79.33% size:57.5%
while busy scaring away
evil spirits.

32:39.733 --> 32:41.633 align:start position:27.5% line:84.66% size:45%
The style evolved.

32:41.700 --> 32:45.466 align:start position:10% line:79.33% size:77.5%
Over time, churches grew taller
and more elaborate.

32:45.533 --> 32:47.733 align:start position:35% line:79.33% size:27.5%
In England,
the final flowering of Gothic

32:47.800 --> 32:49.600 align:start position:20% line:84.66% size:60%
is called perpendicular,

32:49.666 --> 32:52.800 align:start position:30% line:79.33% size:40%
with an emphasis
on vertical lines.

32:52.866 --> 32:55.066 align:start position:20% line:79.33% size:57.5%
The original simplicity
of ribbed vaults

32:55.133 --> 32:58.133 align:start position:35% line:79.33% size:30%
was replaced
by elaborate fan vaulting.

32:58.200 --> 33:03.833 align:start position:47.5% line:10% size:5%
♪♪

33:03.900 --> 33:06.033 align:start position:15% line:84.66% size:67.5%
And this cathedral in Milan

33:06.100 --> 33:08.366 align:start position:15% line:79.33% size:67.5%
illustrates the final stage
of Gothic,

33:08.433 --> 33:11.366 align:start position:27.5% line:79.33% size:42.5%
called flamboyant
for its flame-like spires

33:11.433 --> 33:13.700 align:start position:17.5% line:84.66% size:65%
and over-the-top features.

33:15.833 --> 33:18.900 align:start position:25% line:79.33% size:47.5%
Bathed in the light
of a Gothic interior,

33:18.966 --> 33:22.033 align:start position:12.5% line:79.33% size:72.5%
we appreciate how this style,
with its huge windows

33:22.100 --> 33:24.233 align:start position:20% line:79.33% size:60%
filling the sacred space
with light,

33:24.300 --> 33:28.766 align:start position:15% line:79.33% size:67.5%
is such an improvement over
the darker Romanesque style.

33:28.833 --> 33:32.400 align:start position:10% line:10% size:80%
Most medieval churches are built
to look like a Latin cross,

33:32.466 --> 33:35.366 align:start position:22.5% line:10% size:52.5%
with columns defining
a long, central nave

33:35.433 --> 33:38.066 align:start position:10% line:10% size:80%
and short arms called transepts.

33:38.133 --> 33:40.500 align:start position:20% line:10% size:57.5%
As the church generally
faced East,

33:40.566 --> 33:42.566 align:start position:12.5% line:10% size:72.5%
the entry is the West portal.

33:42.633 --> 33:45.833 align:start position:20% line:79.33% size:60%
There's a North transept
and a South transept,

33:45.900 --> 33:51.100 align:start position:12.5% line:79.33% size:72.5%
and the altar is in the East,
symbolically facing Jerusalem.

33:51.166 --> 33:54.733 align:start position:17.5% line:79.33% size:65%
Religious pilgrimages were
a big deal in medieval Europe,

33:54.800 --> 33:57.633 align:start position:12.5% line:79.33% size:75%
and the greatest churches were
designed to handle large crowds

33:57.700 --> 33:59.900 align:start position:10% line:84.66% size:77.5%
during holy days and festivals.

33:59.966 --> 34:03.433 align:start position:12.5% line:79.33% size:75%
This space was the ambulatory,
and it was designed for pilgrims

34:03.500 --> 34:05.433 align:start position:12.5% line:79.33% size:72.5%
who may have walked for weeks
to get here

34:05.500 --> 34:07.733 align:start position:15% line:84.66% size:70%
to amble through the church.

34:07.800 --> 34:10.300 align:start position:20% line:79.33% size:57.5%
They'd circulate behind
the high altar,

34:10.366 --> 34:13.700 align:start position:20% line:79.33% size:57.5%
around the semicircular
far end, or apse,

34:13.766 --> 34:17.700 align:start position:12.5% line:79.33% size:75%
worshiping at the various side
chapels that fit their needs.

34:17.766 --> 34:21.200 align:start position:47.5% line:10% size:5%
♪♪

34:21.266 --> 34:25.433 align:start position:15% line:79.33% size:70%
Many Gothic churches have an
enclosed space called the choir,

34:25.500 --> 34:29.733 align:start position:17.5% line:79.33% size:62.5%
often elaborately carved,
where monks or VIPs could gather

34:29.800 --> 34:35.000 align:start position:17.5% line:79.33% size:65%
for more intimate services
in an otherwise vast space.

34:35.066 --> 34:37.866 align:start position:17.5% line:79.33% size:62.5%
In a time when daily life
was pretty bleak,

34:37.933 --> 34:41.233 align:start position:20% line:79.33% size:57.5%
attending mass provided
a needed escape,

34:41.300 --> 34:45.166 align:start position:12.5% line:79.33% size:75%
a peek at the promised glories
that awaited the faithful.

34:45.233 --> 34:47.433 align:start position:27.5% line:84.66% size:42.5%
[ Choir singing ]

34:47.500 --> 34:51.266 align:start position:10% line:79.33% size:80%
Even today, attending a service,
especially in the choir,

34:51.333 --> 34:53.000 align:start position:17.5% line:84.66% size:65%
can spark a church to life

34:53.066 --> 34:56.533 align:start position:32.5% line:79.33% size:32.5%
by filling it
with both worship and music.

34:56.600 --> 34:59.000 align:start position:22.5% line:84.66% size:52.5%
[ Singing continues ]

34:59.066 --> 35:01.400 align:start position:27.5% line:84.66% size:42.5%
[ Organ playing ]

35:01.466 --> 35:06.900 align:start position:47.5% line:10% size:5%
♪♪

35:06.966 --> 35:12.333 align:start position:47.5% line:10% size:5%
♪♪

35:12.400 --> 35:15.900 align:start position:15% line:79.33% size:67.5%
These huge caverns of stone
needed to be decorated,

35:15.966 --> 35:18.133 align:start position:25% line:79.33% size:50%
and they were filled
with the most glorious art

35:18.200 --> 35:19.433 align:start position:22.5% line:84.66% size:55%
of the Gothic world --

35:19.500 --> 35:22.566 align:start position:22.5% line:79.33% size:52.5%
towering altarpieces,
inspiring statues,

35:22.633 --> 35:26.566 align:start position:15% line:79.33% size:67.5%
and, the triumph of Gothic,
exquisite stained glass.

35:26.633 --> 35:30.733 align:start position:20% line:10% size:60%
Sainte-Chapelle in Paris
is a fine example.

35:30.800 --> 35:32.533 align:start position:20% line:10% size:60%
In typical Gothic style,

35:32.600 --> 35:34.966 align:start position:20% line:10% size:60%
the church is a skeleton
of support,

35:35.033 --> 35:37.666 align:start position:20% line:79.33% size:60%
with buttressed columns,
ribs, and pointed arches

35:37.733 --> 35:40.366 align:start position:17.5% line:79.33% size:62.5%
supporting the stone roof
and freeing the walls

35:40.433 --> 35:43.400 align:start position:25% line:79.33% size:50%
to be window frames,
in this case,

35:43.466 --> 35:48.366 align:start position:22.5% line:79.33% size:52.5%
to hold Europe's best
original 13th-century glass.

35:48.433 --> 35:50.833 align:start position:17.5% line:84.66% size:62.5%
In the Bible, it's clear.

35:50.900 --> 35:52.633 align:start position:30% line:84.66% size:40%
Light is divine.

35:52.700 --> 35:55.733 align:start position:15% line:79.33% size:70%
And with Gothic, light pours
through stained glass,

35:55.800 --> 36:00.400 align:start position:15% line:79.33% size:70%
turning dark stone buildings
into colorful lanterns of light.

36:00.466 --> 36:08.600 align:start position:47.5% line:10% size:5%
♪♪

36:08.666 --> 36:10.666 align:start position:12.5% line:10% size:72.5%
Chartres Cathedral is beloved

36:10.733 --> 36:13.266 align:start position:17.5% line:10% size:65%
for both its stained glass
and statues,

36:13.333 --> 36:18.100 align:start position:22.5% line:10% size:55%
which, together, weave
a unified Christian story.

36:18.166 --> 36:21.133 align:start position:20% line:79.33% size:60%
In the Book of Chartres,
as some nicknamed the church,

36:21.200 --> 36:23.833 align:start position:17.5% line:79.33% size:62.5%
the text is the sculpture
and windows,

36:23.900 --> 36:26.866 align:start position:30% line:79.33% size:37.5%
and its binding
is the architecture.

36:29.166 --> 36:31.366 align:start position:27.5% line:84.66% size:42.5%
The nave is vast,

36:31.433 --> 36:36.333 align:start position:10% line:79.33% size:77.5%
lit by magnificent 800-year-old
stained-glass.

36:36.400 --> 36:38.833 align:start position:27.5% line:79.33% size:42.5%
The light pouring
through these windows

36:38.900 --> 36:44.233 align:start position:15% line:79.33% size:67.5%
was mystical and encouraged
meditation and prayer.

36:44.300 --> 36:47.066 align:start position:17.5% line:79.33% size:65%
The stained glass was used
to help teach Bible stories

36:47.133 --> 36:48.500 align:start position:15% line:84.66% size:67.5%
to the illiterate faithful,

36:48.566 --> 36:53.566 align:start position:12.5% line:79.33% size:72.5%
and it gave worshipers images
to focus on as they prayed.

36:53.633 --> 36:56.066 align:start position:25% line:79.33% size:47.5%
Windows can be read
from bottom to top,

36:56.133 --> 36:59.100 align:start position:15% line:84.66% size:67.5%
as if from Earth to Heaven.

36:59.166 --> 37:02.066 align:start position:15% line:79.33% size:67.5%
The brilliant color is from
minerals mixed into the glass

37:02.133 --> 37:07.333 align:start position:15% line:79.33% size:70%
as it's made, such as cobalt
for the dazzling blue.

37:07.400 --> 37:09.700 align:start position:15% line:84.66% size:67.5%
The windows lead the reader

37:09.766 --> 37:13.166 align:start position:30% line:79.33% size:40%
through a series
of dramatic scenes.

37:13.233 --> 37:15.700 align:start position:12.5% line:84.66% size:72.5%
For example, The Last Supper,

37:15.766 --> 37:18.800 align:start position:32.5% line:79.33% size:32.5%
Jesus washing
his disciples' feet,

37:18.866 --> 37:22.466 align:start position:32.5% line:79.33% size:32.5%
his betrayal,
with the kiss of Judas,

37:22.533 --> 37:25.700 align:start position:25% line:84.66% size:50%
and the crucifixion.

37:25.766 --> 37:28.466 align:start position:27.5% line:79.33% size:42.5%
The amazing thing
in the 21st century,

37:28.533 --> 37:30.666 align:start position:15% line:84.66% size:70%
Chartres is perfectly intact

37:30.733 --> 37:32.900 align:start position:30% line:79.33% size:37.5%
and can be read
like a book today,

37:32.966 --> 37:36.633 align:start position:12.5% line:84.66% size:75%
as it was eight centuries ago.

37:36.700 --> 37:39.300 align:start position:47.5% line:10% size:5%
♪♪

37:39.366 --> 37:42.033 align:start position:15% line:79.33% size:70%
In England, the York Minster
brilliantly shows

37:42.100 --> 37:45.233 align:start position:17.5% line:79.33% size:62.5%
that the late Middle Ages
were far from dark.

37:45.300 --> 37:47.966 align:start position:47.5% line:10% size:5%
♪♪

37:48.033 --> 37:52.033 align:start position:22.5% line:79.33% size:55%
This window's the size
of a tennis court.

37:52.100 --> 37:55.200 align:start position:17.5% line:79.33% size:65%
The intricacy of the stone
framing, or tracery,

37:55.266 --> 37:58.466 align:start position:10% line:79.33% size:77.5%
and how the tiny panes of glass
are held together by lead

37:58.533 --> 38:00.166 align:start position:32.5% line:84.66% size:32.5%
is exquisite.

38:00.233 --> 38:03.866 align:start position:12.5% line:79.33% size:75%
The fine details, far too tiny
to see from the floor,

38:03.933 --> 38:06.933 align:start position:32.5% line:79.33% size:35%
are said to be
for God's eyes only.

38:07.000 --> 38:11.500 align:start position:47.5% line:10% size:5%
♪♪

38:11.566 --> 38:14.000 align:start position:12.5% line:79.33% size:72.5%
As the church was the leading
patron of the arts

38:14.066 --> 38:15.333 align:start position:15% line:84.66% size:67.5%
throughout the Middle Ages,

38:15.400 --> 38:17.833 align:start position:22.5% line:79.33% size:52.5%
it owned the greatest
artistic treasures,

38:17.900 --> 38:20.400 align:start position:15% line:79.33% size:67.5%
and many of those treasures
remain in situ,

38:20.466 --> 38:22.566 align:start position:25% line:79.33% size:47.5%
not in the museums,
but in the churches

38:22.633 --> 38:25.966 align:start position:30% line:79.33% size:37.5%
where they were
originally designed to be seen.

38:26.033 --> 38:28.733 align:start position:12.5% line:79.33% size:75%
The centerpiece of each church
throughout the ages

38:28.800 --> 38:30.000 align:start position:32.5% line:84.66% size:35%
was the altar,

38:30.066 --> 38:33.166 align:start position:15% line:79.33% size:67.5%
generally with an elaborate
single piece of art,

38:33.233 --> 38:36.166 align:start position:37.5% line:84.66% size:25%
painted...

38:36.233 --> 38:39.500 align:start position:37.5% line:84.66% size:25%
or carved,

38:39.566 --> 38:42.533 align:start position:27.5% line:84.66% size:42.5%
featuring Christ,

38:42.600 --> 38:44.833 align:start position:30% line:84.66% size:40%
the Virgin Mary,

38:44.900 --> 38:46.866 align:start position:30% line:84.66% size:37.5%
a patron saint,

38:46.933 --> 38:49.733 align:start position:15% line:84.66% size:70%
or a particular Bible scene.

38:49.800 --> 38:53.366 align:start position:20% line:79.33% size:57.5%
Some of the altarpieces
were huge and overwhelming,

38:53.433 --> 38:55.933 align:start position:15% line:79.33% size:67.5%
telling the story of Christ
scene by scene,

38:56.033 --> 38:58.633 align:start position:15% line:84.66% size:70%
from manger to resurrection.

38:58.700 --> 39:01.566 align:start position:47.5% line:10% size:5%
♪♪

39:01.633 --> 39:05.566 align:start position:17.5% line:79.33% size:62.5%
And many altarpieces come
with panels on hinges.

39:05.633 --> 39:08.166 align:start position:15% line:79.33% size:67.5%
Some have many panels that,
when opened,

39:08.233 --> 39:09.866 align:start position:17.5% line:84.66% size:62.5%
reveal a series of scenes

39:09.933 --> 39:12.800 align:start position:35% line:79.33% size:27.5%
designed to
better inspire worship.

39:12.866 --> 39:15.866 align:start position:25% line:79.33% size:50%
Here, we see the end
of the Virgin's life on Earth

39:15.933 --> 39:18.966 align:start position:27.5% line:79.33% size:45%
with heartbreaking
medieval emotion.

39:21.033 --> 39:24.033 align:start position:22.5% line:79.33% size:55%
Many church altars had
a painting like this one,

39:24.100 --> 39:28.133 align:start position:10% line:79.33% size:77.5%
showing Mary seated on a throne
with baby Jesus on her lap,

39:28.200 --> 39:31.666 align:start position:15% line:79.33% size:70%
flanked by saints and angels
with plate-like halos,

39:31.733 --> 39:34.300 align:start position:15% line:84.66% size:70%
amid the radiance of Heaven,

39:34.366 --> 39:37.266 align:start position:20% line:79.33% size:60%
made with real gold leaf
to glow,

39:37.333 --> 39:40.566 align:start position:12.5% line:84.66% size:75%
especially in the candlelight.

39:40.633 --> 39:44.500 align:start position:20% line:10% size:57.5%
This opulent altarpiece
also tells the story of Jesus,

39:44.566 --> 39:46.933 align:start position:17.5% line:10% size:65%
like pages of a comic book
ripped out

39:47.000 --> 39:48.933 align:start position:22.5% line:10% size:55%
and laid side by side.

39:49.000 --> 39:52.666 align:start position:15% line:79.33% size:70%
It wasn't terribly realistic
by modern standards.

39:52.733 --> 39:54.666 align:start position:12.5% line:84.66% size:72.5%
Mary's throne looks cockeyed,

39:54.733 --> 39:57.600 align:start position:20% line:79.33% size:60%
and the food could slide
right off this table.

39:57.666 --> 40:00.600 align:start position:25% line:79.33% size:47.5%
But the art brought
sacred stories to life,

40:00.666 --> 40:02.900 align:start position:20% line:84.66% size:57.5%
inspiring the faithful.

40:05.233 --> 40:08.166 align:start position:10% line:79.33% size:77.5%
Imagine the power of Gothic art
emotionally,

40:08.233 --> 40:10.333 align:start position:12.5% line:84.66% size:72.5%
religiously, and politically.

40:10.400 --> 40:14.133 align:start position:15% line:79.33% size:67.5%
In the Middle Ages, art was
the advertising of the day,

40:14.200 --> 40:16.100 align:start position:15% line:84.66% size:67.5%
a perspective-shaping tool.

40:16.166 --> 40:19.100 align:start position:27.5% line:79.33% size:45%
Artists were hired
by the powerful to inspire

40:19.166 --> 40:22.033 align:start position:10% line:84.66% size:77.5%
and also to promote conformity.

40:22.100 --> 40:24.933 align:start position:22.5% line:79.33% size:52.5%
Church art has always
had an agenda --

40:25.000 --> 40:28.433 align:start position:15% line:79.33% size:67.5%
to teach by telling stories
and through symbolism.

40:28.500 --> 40:30.800 align:start position:27.5% line:79.33% size:45%
Martyrs were known
by how they died.

40:30.866 --> 40:34.233 align:start position:25% line:79.33% size:50%
Riddled with arrows?
Saint Sebastian.

40:34.300 --> 40:37.633 align:start position:35% line:79.33% size:30%
Decapitated?
Saint Denis.

40:37.700 --> 40:41.400 align:start position:27.5% line:79.33% size:45%
Death by grilling?
It's got to be Saint Lawrence.

40:41.466 --> 40:44.866 align:start position:20% line:79.33% size:60%
Gospel writers are shown
holding a book.

40:44.933 --> 40:46.933 align:start position:25% line:79.33% size:50%
If a man has a cross
in his halo,

40:47.000 --> 40:49.233 align:start position:22.5% line:84.66% size:52.5%
it can only be Jesus.

40:49.300 --> 40:53.233 align:start position:10% line:79.33% size:80%
And some regular person suddenly
in the company of saints?

40:53.300 --> 40:56.800 align:start position:12.5% line:79.33% size:72.5%
Likely an important financial
supporter of the church,

40:56.866 --> 41:00.166 align:start position:20% line:79.33% size:60%
a reminder of how people
believed such patronage

41:00.233 --> 41:02.466 align:start position:12.5% line:84.66% size:72.5%
could help get you to Heaven.

41:02.533 --> 41:05.633 align:start position:30% line:79.33% size:40%
Accurate realism
was not a concern.

41:05.700 --> 41:07.800 align:start position:25% line:79.33% size:47.5%
Paintings came with
no natural setting,

41:07.866 --> 41:11.700 align:start position:30% line:79.33% size:40%
just an ethereal
gold background.

41:11.766 --> 41:13.733 align:start position:22.5% line:79.33% size:55%
Buildings may have had
four walls

41:13.800 --> 41:16.166 align:start position:30% line:79.33% size:40%
but little sense
of actual depth.

41:18.266 --> 41:21.800 align:start position:27.5% line:79.33% size:42.5%
Bodies were flat,
and expressions said little.

41:21.866 --> 41:25.566 align:start position:27.5% line:79.33% size:42.5%
The main thing --
tell the story.

41:25.633 --> 41:27.833 align:start position:27.5% line:79.33% size:45%
And if the message
wasn't clear enough,

41:27.900 --> 41:30.500 align:start position:17.5% line:79.33% size:65%
the artist could literally
spell it out.

41:30.566 --> 41:34.500 align:start position:47.5% line:10% size:5%
♪♪

41:34.566 --> 41:38.600 align:start position:20% line:79.33% size:60%
A hellish hot tub taught
that people from all walks --

41:38.666 --> 41:42.866 align:start position:12.5% line:79.33% size:75%
nobles, kings, even bishops --
can end up in Hell.

41:42.933 --> 41:45.433 align:start position:27.5% line:79.33% size:42.5%
You were reminded
that one day your sins

41:45.500 --> 41:50.033 align:start position:20% line:79.33% size:57.5%
would be accounted for,
as if written on a ledger.

41:50.100 --> 41:51.966 align:start position:32.5% line:84.66% size:35%
[ Bell rings ]

41:52.033 --> 41:54.666 align:start position:27.5% line:79.33% size:42.5%
But it wasn't all
fire and brimstone.

41:54.733 --> 41:57.300 align:start position:20% line:79.33% size:57.5%
While artists generally
worked anonymously,

41:57.366 --> 42:01.733 align:start position:10% line:79.33% size:80%
they sometimes injected a little
playfulness and personality.

42:01.800 --> 42:03.933 align:start position:17.5% line:84.66% size:62.5%
This man has a toothache.

42:04.000 --> 42:06.933 align:start position:22.5% line:79.33% size:52.5%
Another pulls a thorn
from his foot.

42:07.000 --> 42:10.166 align:start position:15% line:79.33% size:67.5%
And here, a farmer clobbers
a thief so hard,

42:10.233 --> 42:12.166 align:start position:27.5% line:84.66% size:45%
his hat falls off.

42:12.233 --> 42:16.200 align:start position:47.5% line:10% size:5%
♪♪

42:16.266 --> 42:18.933 align:start position:30% line:79.33% size:40%
Medieval pulpits
from where the priest preached

42:19.000 --> 42:21.633 align:start position:20% line:79.33% size:57.5%
were often masterpieces
in themselves,

42:21.700 --> 42:23.566 align:start position:10% line:84.66% size:80%
with finely-carved Bible stories

42:23.633 --> 42:27.200 align:start position:15% line:79.33% size:67.5%
and symbols that reinforced
the gospel message.

42:27.266 --> 42:30.166 align:start position:17.5% line:79.33% size:65%
Readings were figuratively
and literally supported

42:30.233 --> 42:34.100 align:start position:25% line:79.33% size:50%
by venerable leaders
of the faith.

42:34.166 --> 42:36.533 align:start position:27.5% line:79.33% size:42.5%
Church treasuries
are like museums,

42:36.600 --> 42:40.233 align:start position:27.5% line:79.33% size:42.5%
safely protecting
jewel-encrusted gold and silver

42:40.300 --> 42:42.500 align:start position:10% line:84.66% size:77.5%
featuring dazzling workmanship,

42:42.566 --> 42:45.300 align:start position:32.5% line:79.33% size:32.5%
war trophies,
and priceless gifts

42:45.366 --> 42:49.800 align:start position:20% line:79.33% size:60%
like this gold-encrusted
unicorn tusk?

42:49.866 --> 42:52.333 align:start position:20% line:79.33% size:60%
Dazzling jeweled vessels
called reliquaries

42:52.400 --> 42:56.233 align:start position:12.5% line:79.33% size:75%
were often masterpieces of art
designed to protect relics.

42:56.300 --> 43:00.200 align:start position:20% line:79.33% size:60%
A relic is some physical
reminder of Christ or a saint,

43:00.266 --> 43:02.533 align:start position:30% line:79.33% size:40%
like their bones
or possessions --

43:02.600 --> 43:06.100 align:start position:15% line:84.66% size:67.5%
the finger of Saint Teresa,

43:06.166 --> 43:08.433 align:start position:17.5% line:84.66% size:62.5%
the jaw of Saint Anthony,

43:08.500 --> 43:12.766 align:start position:15% line:79.33% size:67.5%
perhaps a skull of a saint,
complete with jewels and silver,

43:12.833 --> 43:18.366 align:start position:32.5% line:79.33% size:35%
or better yet,
a full regally-dressed skeleton.

43:18.433 --> 43:22.266 align:start position:17.5% line:79.33% size:62.5%
Holy relics were the ruby
slippers of medieval Europe.

43:22.333 --> 43:24.833 align:start position:30% line:79.33% size:40%
To the faithful,
relics had power.

43:24.900 --> 43:27.333 align:start position:15% line:79.33% size:67.5%
They helped answer prayers,
win wars,

43:27.400 --> 43:30.133 align:start position:30% line:79.33% size:40%
and, ultimately,
they helped you get to Heaven.

43:30.200 --> 43:34.100 align:start position:15% line:79.33% size:70%
That's why pilgrims traveled
far and wide to venerate relics,

43:34.166 --> 43:38.466 align:start position:15% line:79.33% size:67.5%
making the High Middle Ages
a golden age of travel.

43:38.533 --> 43:42.700 align:start position:15% line:79.33% size:70%
In Venice, they came for the
supposed bones of Saint Mark.

43:42.766 --> 43:46.100 align:start position:17.5% line:79.33% size:62.5%
In Padua, the vocal cords
of Saint Anthony.

43:46.166 --> 43:48.033 align:start position:32.5% line:79.33% size:32.5%
An especially
sought-after relic

43:48.100 --> 43:50.700 align:start position:25% line:79.33% size:50%
was a supposed piece
of the original cross,

43:50.766 --> 43:53.200 align:start position:32.5% line:79.33% size:35%
like this one,
with an actual nail hole,

43:53.266 --> 43:57.133 align:start position:15% line:79.33% size:70%
carried in a jewel-encrusted
case by the emperors.

43:57.200 --> 44:02.333 align:start position:12.5% line:79.33% size:72.5%
In Paris, this entire church,
so famed for its windows today,

44:02.400 --> 44:04.633 align:start position:32.5% line:79.33% size:32.5%
functioned as
a reliquary itself,

44:04.700 --> 44:08.166 align:start position:22.5% line:79.33% size:55%
purpose built to house
the supposed Crown of Thorns

44:08.233 --> 44:10.133 align:start position:27.5% line:84.66% size:42.5%
in all its glory.

44:10.200 --> 44:14.300 align:start position:47.5% line:10% size:5%
♪♪

44:14.366 --> 44:17.566 align:start position:17.5% line:79.33% size:65%
To this day, pilgrims pray
at these relics.

44:17.633 --> 44:19.733 align:start position:17.5% line:79.33% size:65%
If a request for a miracle
is answered,

44:19.800 --> 44:21.500 align:start position:17.5% line:84.66% size:65%
they might leave a votive.

44:21.566 --> 44:27.300 align:start position:10% line:79.33% size:77.5%
That's a token of gratitude for
the saint's divine intervention.

44:27.366 --> 44:32.500 align:start position:22.5% line:79.33% size:55%
All of these elements,
from relics to statues,

44:32.566 --> 44:37.100 align:start position:17.5% line:79.33% size:65%
from soaring arches to sun
pouring through stained glass,

44:37.166 --> 44:39.533 align:start position:22.5% line:79.33% size:55%
were part of a unified
ensemble of art,

44:39.600 --> 44:42.166 align:start position:20% line:79.33% size:60%
bringing the stone shell
of a cathedral to life

44:42.233 --> 44:46.166 align:start position:10% line:79.33% size:77.5%
and designed to keep the church
central to people's lives.

44:46.233 --> 44:48.466 align:start position:22.5% line:79.33% size:55%
Mix in a little music,
and Gothic churches

44:48.533 --> 44:50.700 align:start position:12.5% line:84.66% size:75%
created a powerful experience,

44:50.766 --> 44:54.966 align:start position:25% line:79.33% size:47.5%
inspiring Europeans
during this Age of Faith.

44:57.233 --> 45:00.766 align:start position:25% line:79.33% size:47.5%
Religion served art
and art served religion

45:00.833 --> 45:02.266 align:start position:15% line:84.66% size:67.5%
throughout the Middle Ages.

45:02.333 --> 45:05.266 align:start position:15% line:79.33% size:67.5%
But in the later centuries,
with rising prosperity,

45:05.333 --> 45:08.400 align:start position:17.5% line:79.33% size:65%
secular art, art which had
nothing to do with God,

45:08.466 --> 45:10.700 align:start position:35% line:79.33% size:30%
was becoming
increasingly common.

45:10.766 --> 45:13.000 align:start position:22.5% line:79.33% size:55%
It was art that served
not the church,

45:13.066 --> 45:16.833 align:start position:10% line:84.66% size:77.5%
but Europe's rich and powerful.

45:16.900 --> 45:19.333 align:start position:12.5% line:84.66% size:75%
And this included architecture

45:19.400 --> 45:21.966 align:start position:27.5% line:79.33% size:45%
in an increasingly
secular society.

45:22.033 --> 45:26.233 align:start position:20% line:79.33% size:57.5%
From Brussels to Siena,
it was the Gothic city hall,

45:26.300 --> 45:29.833 align:start position:15% line:79.33% size:70%
not the church, that towered
over the main square.

45:32.066 --> 45:34.166 align:start position:27.5% line:79.33% size:42.5%
And the elites of
the High Middle Ages

45:34.233 --> 45:37.800 align:start position:17.5% line:79.33% size:65%
built Europe's magnificent
castles and fortresses

45:37.866 --> 45:39.466 align:start position:20% line:84.66% size:60%
not for their salvation,

45:39.533 --> 45:44.500 align:start position:12.5% line:79.33% size:72.5%
but for both their protection
and their pleasure.

45:44.566 --> 45:50.100 align:start position:30% line:79.33% size:40%
From Switzerland
to the Rhineland

45:50.166 --> 45:56.900 align:start position:17.5% line:79.33% size:62.5%
and from distant Scotland
to the South of France,

45:56.966 --> 45:59.366 align:start position:25% line:79.33% size:47.5%
castles and palaces
provided a stage

45:59.433 --> 46:03.333 align:start position:25% line:79.33% size:47.5%
for the festivities
of the medieval world,

46:03.400 --> 46:07.000 align:start position:22.5% line:79.33% size:52.5%
of chivalrous knights
in shining armor,

46:07.066 --> 46:11.100 align:start position:22.5% line:79.33% size:55%
dazzling heraldry, and
tournaments with flags flying.

46:11.166 --> 46:13.600 align:start position:15% line:84.66% size:67.5%
[ Trumpets, drums playing ]

46:13.666 --> 46:19.433 align:start position:47.5% line:10% size:5%
♪♪

46:19.500 --> 46:21.966 align:start position:27.5% line:79.33% size:42.5%
And with Europe's
newfound wealth,

46:22.033 --> 46:24.233 align:start position:20% line:79.33% size:57.5%
these fortified palaces
were decorated

46:24.300 --> 46:27.066 align:start position:12.5% line:84.66% size:75%
with increasingly secular art.

46:27.133 --> 46:29.500 align:start position:27.5% line:79.33% size:45%
Rather than saints
and Bible lessons,

46:29.566 --> 46:33.400 align:start position:20% line:79.33% size:60%
this noble family wanted
voluptuous swoops and curls,

46:33.466 --> 46:39.066 align:start position:25% line:79.33% size:47.5%
a fantasy of elves,
jesters, archers,

46:39.133 --> 46:43.866 align:start position:10% line:84.66% size:80%
and fruity symbols of fertility.

46:43.933 --> 46:47.400 align:start position:22.5% line:79.33% size:55%
Tapestries on the wall
both warmed the stone rooms

46:47.466 --> 46:50.766 align:start position:12.5% line:79.33% size:72.5%
and brightened the atmosphere
with colorful scenes

46:50.833 --> 46:55.033 align:start position:12.5% line:79.33% size:72.5%
that shared the feudal lords'
perspective on current events,

46:55.100 --> 46:59.066 align:start position:32.5% line:79.33% size:35%
taught morals,
and told folktales.

46:59.133 --> 47:02.566 align:start position:17.5% line:79.33% size:62.5%
This series of tapestries
from a slightly later age

47:02.633 --> 47:04.566 align:start position:30% line:79.33% size:37.5%
gives us a peek
into the everyday lives

47:04.633 --> 47:06.333 align:start position:25% line:84.66% size:47.5%
of ordinary people.

47:06.400 --> 47:08.200 align:start position:15% line:84.66% size:70%
With captions in old French,

47:08.266 --> 47:11.600 align:start position:17.5% line:79.33% size:62.5%
it cleverly spins a story
of youthful lustiness

47:11.666 --> 47:15.500 align:start position:17.5% line:79.33% size:62.5%
that shatters stereotypes
of medieval piety.

47:15.566 --> 47:18.733 align:start position:20% line:79.33% size:57.5%
A shepherd girl cradles
a bowl of soup in her lap.

47:18.800 --> 47:21.400 align:start position:20% line:79.33% size:60%
The flirtatious shepherd
cuts a slice of bread

47:21.466 --> 47:23.300 align:start position:20% line:84.66% size:57.5%
and, as the text reads,

47:23.366 --> 47:28.200 align:start position:17.5% line:79.33% size:65%
saucily asks if he can dip
into the goodies in her lap.

47:28.266 --> 47:31.500 align:start position:22.5% line:79.33% size:55%
Another woman brazenly
strips off her socks

47:31.566 --> 47:34.666 align:start position:10% line:84.66% size:80%
to dangle her feet in the water.

47:34.733 --> 47:37.200 align:start position:12.5% line:84.66% size:72.5%
Couples freely dance together

47:37.266 --> 47:39.233 align:start position:25% line:79.33% size:50%
under the apple tree
of temptation

47:39.300 --> 47:44.700 align:start position:22.5% line:79.33% size:52.5%
and around a bagpipe,
symbolic back then of hedonism.

47:44.766 --> 47:47.100 align:start position:25% line:79.33% size:47.5%
Where does all this
wantonness lead?

47:47.166 --> 47:48.133 align:start position:37.5% line:84.66% size:22.5%
Marriage.

47:48.200 --> 47:50.500 align:start position:12.5% line:84.66% size:72.5%
Music plays, the table's set,

47:50.566 --> 47:52.466 align:start position:12.5% line:84.66% size:75%
and the meat's on the barbecue

47:52.533 --> 47:56.733 align:start position:25% line:79.33% size:47.5%
as the bride enters
with her groom.

47:56.800 --> 48:01.100 align:start position:17.5% line:79.33% size:62.5%
The bride smiles bravely,
closely escorted by two men,

48:01.166 --> 48:05.966 align:start position:22.5% line:79.33% size:55%
while the scared groom
gulps nervously.

48:06.033 --> 48:09.366 align:start position:20% line:79.33% size:60%
Tapestries were designed
by Europe's best artists

48:09.433 --> 48:11.566 align:start position:10% line:84.66% size:80%
and woven from the finest thread

48:11.633 --> 48:14.000 align:start position:20% line:79.33% size:60%
in high-tech-for-the-day
factories.

48:14.066 --> 48:16.866 align:start position:20% line:79.33% size:60%
They became a distinctly
medieval art form.

48:18.966 --> 48:22.566 align:start position:12.5% line:10% size:75%
This exquisite series captures
Europe's blossoming appreciation

48:22.633 --> 48:26.166 align:start position:30% line:10% size:40%
for sheer beauty
at the end of the Middle Ages.

48:26.233 --> 48:30.233 align:start position:27.5% line:10% size:45%
It's a celebration
of all the senses.

48:30.300 --> 48:32.500 align:start position:32.5% line:84.66% size:35%
There's taste.

48:32.566 --> 48:34.633 align:start position:25% line:79.33% size:47.5%
A woman takes candy
from a servant's dish

48:34.700 --> 48:36.600 align:start position:20% line:84.66% size:57.5%
to feed to her parakeet

48:36.666 --> 48:40.200 align:start position:17.5% line:79.33% size:65%
while the little dog licks
his lovingly-woven chops.

48:42.366 --> 48:46.266 align:start position:15% line:79.33% size:70%
Hearing -- The elegant woman
plays sweetly on an organ,

48:46.333 --> 48:49.966 align:start position:25% line:79.33% size:47.5%
calming an audience
of wild beasts.

48:50.033 --> 48:53.266 align:start position:12.5% line:79.33% size:75%
In this fanciful world, humans
and their fellow creatures

48:53.333 --> 48:57.700 align:start position:30% line:79.33% size:37.5%
live in harmony
in an enchanted garden.

48:57.766 --> 49:00.500 align:start position:40% line:79.33% size:20%
Sight --
A unicorn cuddles up

49:00.566 --> 49:03.300 align:start position:25% line:79.33% size:50%
and looks at himself
in the lady's mirror,

49:03.366 --> 49:06.466 align:start position:17.5% line:84.66% size:65%
pleased with what he sees.

49:06.533 --> 49:10.666 align:start position:25% line:79.33% size:47.5%
The lion turns away
and snickers.

49:10.733 --> 49:15.466 align:start position:12.5% line:79.33% size:75%
Touch -- That's the most basic
and dangerous of the senses.

49:15.533 --> 49:21.166 align:start position:22.5% line:79.33% size:55%
Here, the lady strokes
the unicorn's horn.

49:21.233 --> 49:22.966 align:start position:15% line:84.66% size:70%
And the lion looks out at us

49:23.033 --> 49:25.500 align:start position:27.5% line:79.33% size:42.5%
to be sure we get
the double entendre.

49:27.666 --> 49:30.900 align:start position:10% line:79.33% size:80%
Medieval Europeans were enjoying
the wonders

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and physical pleasures of life.

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The words on our lady's tent
read, "To my sole desire."

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What is her only desire?

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Is it jewelry?

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Or is she putting
the necklace away

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and renouncing material things?

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Is it God, love?

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The unicorn and lion
open the tent.

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Is she going in to meet
the object of her desire

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or just stepping out
to embrace the world?

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♪♪

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Toward the end
of the Middle Ages,

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a new spirit was blossoming.

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People were stepping out
of medieval darkness,

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and art was changing
with the changing times.

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Artists now celebrated
not just God,

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but the beauty
of the created world,

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done in a style that was
more realistic than ever.

50:30.833 --> 50:34.400 align:start position:15% line:79.33% size:67.5%
Nowhere was that new spirit
stronger than in Italy.

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With its close connection
to ancient Rome

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and as the center
of the Christian faith,

50:39.366 --> 50:43.300 align:start position:10% line:79.33% size:77.5%
Italy was home to both scholars
and pilgrims.

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Cities buzzed with free trade,

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strong civic pride,
and budding democracy

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as they broke free
from centuries of feudal rule.

50:54.166 --> 50:57.500 align:start position:30% line:79.33% size:40%
As this allegory
from the 1300s illustrates,

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once-rundown towns
with chaos in the streets

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were becoming places
where the shopping was brisk,

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construction's booming,
students are attentive,

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and women dance freely
in the streets.

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♪♪

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In his hometown of Assisi.

51:20.866 --> 51:24.500 align:start position:12.5% line:79.33% size:72.5%
Saint Francis was challenging
the corruption of his church.

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His values are depicted in art

51:26.500 --> 51:30.266 align:start position:15% line:79.33% size:70%
which decorates the basilica
built in his name.

51:30.333 --> 51:32.433 align:start position:20% line:79.33% size:57.5%
The artists who painted
these frescoes

51:32.500 --> 51:34.733 align:start position:12.5% line:84.66% size:75%
employed unprecedented realism

51:34.800 --> 51:37.366 align:start position:22.5% line:79.33% size:52.5%
to celebrate the life
of this down-to-earth man

51:37.433 --> 51:38.833 align:start position:25% line:84.66% size:47.5%
who inspired others

51:38.900 --> 51:42.066 align:start position:20% line:79.33% size:57.5%
and challenged a church
in need of reform.

51:42.133 --> 51:44.000 align:start position:15% line:84.66% size:67.5%
Leading artists of the day,

51:44.066 --> 51:46.600 align:start position:15% line:79.33% size:70%
including the groundbreaking
artist Giotto,

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depicted Francis'
life story with dignity,

51:50.300 --> 51:53.933 align:start position:17.5% line:79.33% size:62.5%
raising this humble friar
to saintly status.

51:56.500 --> 51:59.000 align:start position:25% line:79.33% size:47.5%
The artist captures
the well-known episode

51:59.066 --> 52:01.766 align:start position:22.5% line:79.33% size:55%
where Francis preaches
to the birds.

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The variety of birds
represents nature

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and the diverse flock
of humanity,

52:06.733 --> 52:10.933 align:start position:37.5% line:79.33% size:25%
all worthy
of one another's love.

52:11.000 --> 52:13.633 align:start position:15% line:79.33% size:67.5%
In the compassionate spirit
of Saint Francis,

52:13.700 --> 52:18.533 align:start position:10% line:79.33% size:77.5%
artists here portrayed powerful
emotions as never before.

52:20.533 --> 52:24.366 align:start position:10% line:79.33% size:77.5%
This angel turns her head sadly
at the sight of Jesus,

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while another is
in such anguish,

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she tears at her cheeks in pain.

52:30.800 --> 52:33.800 align:start position:17.5% line:79.33% size:62.5%
Mary, traditionally shown
forever stoic,

52:33.866 --> 52:36.000 align:start position:27.5% line:84.66% size:45%
faints in despair.

52:38.633 --> 52:40.300 align:start position:30% line:10% size:40%
Nearby in Padua,

52:40.366 --> 52:42.500 align:start position:32.5% line:10% size:35%
Giotto covered
this glorious chapel

52:42.566 --> 52:44.500 align:start position:32.5% line:10% size:32.5%
with frescoes
telling Bible stories

52:44.566 --> 52:48.166 align:start position:20% line:10% size:57.5%
with a realism that was
astonishing for its day.

52:48.233 --> 52:50.200 align:start position:10% line:10% size:80%
Moving beyond the medieval norm,

52:50.266 --> 52:52.566 align:start position:27.5% line:10% size:42.5%
with the standard
gold-leaf background,

52:52.633 --> 52:55.566 align:start position:22.5% line:10% size:55%
Giotto sets his scenes
in the real world --

52:55.633 --> 52:59.200 align:start position:22.5% line:10% size:55%
rocks, trees, animals.

52:59.266 --> 53:01.933 align:start position:35% line:79.33% size:27.5%
His people,
with their voluminous robes,

53:02.000 --> 53:05.766 align:start position:17.5% line:79.33% size:62.5%
are as sturdy and massive
as Greek statues.

53:08.433 --> 53:11.800 align:start position:17.5% line:79.33% size:62.5%
Their gestures are simple
but expressive.

53:11.866 --> 53:14.200 align:start position:20% line:84.66% size:57.5%
Arm raised shows anger.

53:14.266 --> 53:17.500 align:start position:10% line:84.66% size:80%
Head tilted down says dejection.

53:17.566 --> 53:21.766 align:start position:10% line:84.66% size:77.5%
And a tender kiss, caring love.

53:21.833 --> 53:25.900 align:start position:10% line:79.33% size:77.5%
He captures the dramatic moment
when Jesus is arrested.

53:25.966 --> 53:29.166 align:start position:22.5% line:79.33% size:55%
Amid the chaos, Giotto
skillfully throws the focus

53:29.233 --> 53:31.300 align:start position:22.5% line:84.66% size:55%
on the central action.

53:31.366 --> 53:33.800 align:start position:27.5% line:79.33% size:42.5%
Judas looks Jesus
straight in the eyes

53:33.866 --> 53:37.766 align:start position:30% line:79.33% size:37.5%
and betrays him
with that infamous kiss.

53:37.833 --> 53:39.633 align:start position:25% line:84.66% size:50%
After his execution,

53:39.700 --> 53:42.400 align:start position:25% line:79.33% size:47.5%
Jesus is taken down
off the cross,

53:42.466 --> 53:45.833 align:start position:27.5% line:79.33% size:42.5%
and his followers
weep over his lifeless body.

53:45.900 --> 53:49.233 align:start position:47.5% line:10% size:5%
♪♪

53:49.300 --> 53:52.066 align:start position:10% line:84.66% size:80%
John spreads his arms and wails,

53:52.133 --> 53:56.033 align:start position:30% line:79.33% size:40%
his cries echoed
by anguished angels above.

53:56.100 --> 53:58.900 align:start position:12.5% line:84.66% size:75%
Each face is a study in grief,

53:58.966 --> 54:01.800 align:start position:25% line:79.33% size:50%
of the vulnerability
and strong emotions

54:01.866 --> 54:05.233 align:start position:40% line:79.33% size:20%
of these
almost believable angels.

54:05.300 --> 54:08.133 align:start position:27.5% line:79.33% size:45%
Giotto, considered
the first modern painter,

54:08.200 --> 54:10.433 align:start position:32.5% line:79.33% size:35%
created scenes
that were beyond anything

54:10.500 --> 54:14.066 align:start position:27.5% line:79.33% size:45%
that had been done
in the entire Middle Ages.

54:14.133 --> 54:17.233 align:start position:15% line:79.33% size:67.5%
By painting biblical themes
with a new realism,

54:17.300 --> 54:20.700 align:start position:12.5% line:79.33% size:75%
Giotto was embracing centuries
of medieval tradition

54:20.766 --> 54:23.233 align:start position:22.5% line:79.33% size:55%
while pointing the way
to an exciting,

54:23.300 --> 54:25.500 align:start position:15% line:84.66% size:67.5%
more modern future to come.

54:25.566 --> 54:32.766 align:start position:47.5% line:10% size:5%
♪♪

54:32.833 --> 54:34.900 align:start position:27.5% line:79.33% size:42.5%
After 1,000 years
of Middle Ages,

54:34.966 --> 54:36.566 align:start position:12.5% line:84.66% size:75%
Europe had been through a lot,

54:36.633 --> 54:39.233 align:start position:22.5% line:79.33% size:52.5%
from the fall of Rome
and centuries of turmoil

54:39.300 --> 54:41.966 align:start position:15% line:79.33% size:67.5%
to the rise of Christianity
and kings.

54:42.033 --> 54:46.066 align:start position:25% line:79.33% size:47.5%
And through it all,
Europeans created beautiful art.

54:46.133 --> 54:47.600 align:start position:22.5% line:84.66% size:55%
Thanks for joining us.

54:47.666 --> 54:51.000 align:start position:30% line:79.33% size:40%
I'm Rick Steves,
celebrating the art of Europe.

54:53.200 --> 55:01.733 align:start position:47.5% line:10% size:5%
♪♪

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♪♪

55:10.466 --> 55:19.000 align:start position:47.5% line:10% size:5%
♪♪

55:19.066 --> 55:27.700 align:start position:47.5% line:10% size:5%
♪♪

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♪♪