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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

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in the art and architecture 
of the age.

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With Christianity now dominant,

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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.

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It was called Romanesque

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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.

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Church architects adopted

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the pre-Christian basilica 
floor plan,

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like the surviving footprint

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of this ancient Roman 
court of law, or basilica.

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It was a rectangular space 
with side aisles

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and a central nave 
defined by rows of columns

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leading to the altar.

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By adding transepts,

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

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Romanesque churches had the same 
basic features all over Europe.

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They were sturdy, 
with thick walls, squat towers,

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and small windows.

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They stood strong.

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Many even came with 
crenellations,

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as if fortresses of God.

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This Romanesque church 
in France,

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built by a particularly 
austere monastic order,

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is simple, 
with a plain facade

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and unadorned columns, 
nothing to distract from prayer.

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The lone statue is a reminder

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that the church 
was dedicated to Mary.

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An ethereal light 
still bathes the interior.

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♪♪

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This church in Florence 
adds another Romanesque feature

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common in Italy --

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finely-crafted marble 
in perfect geometric symmetry,

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symbolizing 
the perfection of God.

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The eagle on top 
with bags of wool in its talons

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reminds worshipers 
who paid for it all --

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the wool guild.

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Stepping inside, you enter 
an exquisite holy space,

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with its carpet of marble floor

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and colorfully-painted 
wood ceiling.

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Asserting the church's power 
over secular society,

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the golden mosaic 
shows an Earthly king

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offering his paltry crown to 
the all-powerful king in Heaven.

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And in England, 
for nearly 1,000 years,

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pilgrims have set their sights 
on this Romanesque wonder --

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Durham Cathedral.

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Standing like a mighty fortress, 
the church is a classic example

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of the English version 
of Romanesque called Norman.

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Named for the Normans

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who invaded England 
in 1066 from France,

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bringing that dominant 
European style with them,

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this style features 
round arches,

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zigzag decorations, 
and soaring bell towers.

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♪♪

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The church honors 
Saint Cuthbert.

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Pondering his coffin,

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embroidered sash, 
and exquisite cross,

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you remember all those monks 
who kept the flame of knowledge

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flickering through those 
early medieval centuries,

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making Romanesque marvels 
like the Durham Cathedral

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possible.

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Pisa's Cathedral in Italy, 
dating from the year 1100,

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had evolved beyond 
the traditional

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heavy Romanesque feel.

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Pisan Romanesque feels light 
and elegant.

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Pisa's Cathedral complex,

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famous for 
its leaning bell tower,

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is a reminder that in cities 
across medieval Europe,

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you found the same ensemble 
of important structures --

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the church,

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the bell tower, which, even when 
tipsy, set the tempo of life,

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marking the hours, 
the festivals,

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the call to worship, 
and the baptistery.

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Pisa's baptistery, 
like so many from this period,

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is freestanding.

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Its interior is simple 
and spacious.

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The finely-crafted font 
is plenty big

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for baptizing adults 
by immersion.

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Imagine a religious service 
sung here,

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amplified by 
the remarkable acoustics,

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resulting in echoes 
long enough

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to let you sing 
three-part harmony solo.

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-[ Echoing ] ♪ Oh, oh, oh ♪

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♪♪

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♪ Ohh ♪

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-Romanesque churches were filled 
with beautiful art,

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and that art served the church.

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As most people were illiterate,

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pictures and symbols were used

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to teach and celebrate 
the Christian message.

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The art didn't have 
to be realistic

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as long as 
it inspired worship.

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The physical church 
was a sermon in stone.

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The entrance set the tone.

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Carved scenes were flat 
or in low relief and cluttered,

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images that told a story.

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While today Romanesque churches 
have plain stone walls,

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many were originally painted.

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Paintings were full 
of symbolism,

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showing saints not inhabiting

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the dark, cold, and sinful world 
on Earth,

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but in an ethereal Heaven.

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Romanesque painting 
had a mystical kind of beauty.

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Here, it's the Annunciation, 
as the angel announces to Mary

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she'll give birth 
to the Messiah.

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All of nature, including goat 
herders in 11th-century attire,

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celebrates the news.

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Christ's life unfolds, 
ending with the crucifixion.

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And his return, 
triumphant over death,

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sitting on a rainbow 
and blessing all who gather.

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At the high altar stands Jesus

254
00:14:04,400 --> 00:14:06,733
alongside 
his ever popular mother,

255
00:14:06,800 --> 00:14:10,233
known as the Virgin Mary, 
Madonna, or Our Lady.

256
00:14:10,300 --> 00:14:12,633
More Notre Dame, 
she was a compassionate

257
00:14:12,700 --> 00:14:14,300
and approachable figure,

258
00:14:14,366 --> 00:14:18,066
one that medieval peasants 
could pray to for help.

259
00:14:18,133 --> 00:14:21,566
Other imagery showed how 
the powerful church legitimized

260
00:14:21,633 --> 00:14:25,700
the secular ruler, Christ 
actually crowning the King.

261
00:14:25,766 --> 00:14:29,333
They were partners in power 
and, many would say,

262
00:14:29,400 --> 00:14:33,000
partners conspiring 
to keep the masses down.

263
00:14:35,500 --> 00:14:37,766
This so-called 
crown of Charlemagne,

264
00:14:37,833 --> 00:14:40,433
who, in the year 800, 
was Europe's greatest ruler,

265
00:14:40,500 --> 00:14:42,333
came with a cross 
and the message,

266
00:14:42,400 --> 00:14:45,766
in Latin, 
"By Christ, kings reign."

267
00:14:45,833 --> 00:14:49,133
♪♪

268
00:14:49,200 --> 00:14:51,766
Throughout the Middle Ages, 
in the Romanesque age,

269
00:14:51,833 --> 00:14:54,000
as well as the Gothic age 
that followed,

270
00:14:54,066 --> 00:14:57,166
art inspired,

271
00:14:57,233 --> 00:15:01,766
it comforted, 
and it frightened.

272
00:15:04,333 --> 00:15:08,900
Vivid Last Judgment scenes 
scared people into faithfulness.

273
00:15:08,966 --> 00:15:10,500
They showed the end 
of the world,

274
00:15:10,566 --> 00:15:15,400
when Christ passes judgment 
on all humankind,

275
00:15:15,466 --> 00:15:19,333
giving the ultimate 
thumbs-up or thumbs-down.

276
00:15:19,400 --> 00:15:22,666
The righteous rise up to Heaven

277
00:15:22,733 --> 00:15:24,700
while the wicked are cast down

278
00:15:24,766 --> 00:15:28,800
into a horrible, horrible Hell 
ruled by the Devil.

279
00:15:28,866 --> 00:15:33,300
There, they're tormented 
for eternity by demons,

280
00:15:33,366 --> 00:15:39,933
eaten by ogres, and excreted 
in an eternally miserable cycle.

281
00:15:40,000 --> 00:15:42,266
Across Europe 
and through the centuries,

282
00:15:42,333 --> 00:15:46,866
peasants were made fearful 
by this powerful art,

283
00:15:46,933 --> 00:15:49,800
subjected at church 
to such vivid visions

284
00:15:49,866 --> 00:15:52,633
from the moment 
they walked through the door.

285
00:15:55,433 --> 00:15:58,000
In the centuries leading up 
to this Romanesque age,

286
00:15:58,066 --> 00:16:00,500
feudal Europe was mired 
in the relative darkness

287
00:16:00,566 --> 00:16:02,400
of the early Middle Ages.

288
00:16:02,466 --> 00:16:06,400
But sophisticated societies 
thrived to the East and South.

289
00:16:06,466 --> 00:16:08,533
Shining like beacons 
of enlightenment,

290
00:16:08,600 --> 00:16:12,300
they inspired and fueled 
Western Europe's progress.

291
00:16:12,366 --> 00:16:14,633
Way back in the 5th century,

292
00:16:14,700 --> 00:16:17,266
the Roman Empire 
had fallen in the West,

293
00:16:17,333 --> 00:16:19,233
but it lived on in the East,

294
00:16:19,300 --> 00:16:22,800
eventually becoming 
the Byzantine Empire.

295
00:16:22,866 --> 00:16:24,800
Byzantium remained Christian,

296
00:16:24,866 --> 00:16:27,200
and its capital 
was Constantinople,

297
00:16:27,266 --> 00:16:29,233
today's Istanbul.

298
00:16:29,300 --> 00:16:31,466
Throughout 
the early Middle Ages,

299
00:16:31,533 --> 00:16:34,200
with its imposing walls, 
for centuries,

300
00:16:34,266 --> 00:16:36,966
Constantinople was Europe's 
leading city,

301
00:16:37,033 --> 00:16:38,500
ruling a vast empire

302
00:16:38,566 --> 00:16:41,866
that was relatively 
prosperous and stable.

303
00:16:44,066 --> 00:16:47,000
While Western Europe 
built nothing nearly as grand

304
00:16:47,066 --> 00:16:48,366
during this period,

305
00:16:48,433 --> 00:16:52,166
Constantinople constructed 
this magnificent church,

306
00:16:52,233 --> 00:16:53,666
Hagia Sophia.

307
00:16:53,733 --> 00:16:57,233
The minarets were added later 
when it became a mosque.

308
00:16:57,300 --> 00:17:00,966
Built around the year 500 
on the grandest scale possible,

309
00:17:01,033 --> 00:17:04,866
it symbolizes 
Byzantium's glory days.

310
00:17:04,933 --> 00:17:07,033
They used ingenious technology,

311
00:17:07,100 --> 00:17:09,900
a massive central dome 
supported by half domes

312
00:17:09,966 --> 00:17:11,833
that was the biggest anywhere

313
00:17:11,900 --> 00:17:15,633
and remained that way 
for nearly 1,000 years.

314
00:17:15,700 --> 00:17:17,966
While a place 
of Muslim worship today,

315
00:17:18,033 --> 00:17:21,766
for centuries, Hagia Sophia 
functioned as a church,

316
00:17:21,833 --> 00:17:27,100
perhaps the most exquisite 
church in all of Christendom.

317
00:17:27,166 --> 00:17:29,433
The church tried to re-create 
the glory

318
00:17:29,500 --> 00:17:31,433
of the Byzantine Heaven.

319
00:17:31,500 --> 00:17:33,500
The vast interior 
gives the impression

320
00:17:33,566 --> 00:17:35,733
of a golden, 
weightless shell,

321
00:17:35,800 --> 00:17:39,733
gracefully disguising 
the massive overhead load.

322
00:17:39,800 --> 00:17:43,566
40 arched windows shed 
a soft light on the interior,

323
00:17:43,633 --> 00:17:46,833
showing off the venerable 
building's Christian legacy

324
00:17:46,900 --> 00:17:49,400
that has endured 
the test of time.

325
00:17:49,466 --> 00:17:57,900
♪♪

326
00:17:57,966 --> 00:18:00,400
The Italian city of Venice 
is a reminder

327
00:18:00,466 --> 00:18:03,733
that the more advanced Byzantine 
culture reached westward,

328
00:18:03,800 --> 00:18:05,333
far into Europe.

329
00:18:05,400 --> 00:18:08,133
In the 11th century, 
St. Mark's Basilica

330
00:18:08,200 --> 00:18:11,500
was topped with 
Byzantine-style domes.

331
00:18:11,566 --> 00:18:16,300
Its decoration reflects 
that connection with the East.

332
00:18:16,366 --> 00:18:19,200
The basilica's fanciful facade 
is decorated

333
00:18:19,266 --> 00:18:21,633
with mismatched columns 
and statues,

334
00:18:21,700 --> 00:18:25,633
which were largely pillaged from 
elsewhere during the Crusades.

335
00:18:25,700 --> 00:18:29,466
The style? 
I'd call it early ransack.

336
00:18:29,533 --> 00:18:33,300
A good example of such plunder 
is this ancient Roman statue

337
00:18:33,366 --> 00:18:35,100
carved of purple porphyry,

338
00:18:35,166 --> 00:18:41,033
a precious stone quarried 
in Egypt and symbolic of power.

339
00:18:41,100 --> 00:18:43,866
By the way, the Crusades 
were a big deal

340
00:18:43,933 --> 00:18:46,266
back in the 12th 
and 13th centuries.

341
00:18:46,333 --> 00:18:49,200
Lots of important art 
was pillaged from Constantinople

342
00:18:49,266 --> 00:18:51,433
by rampaging Crusaders,

343
00:18:51,500 --> 00:18:54,600
those Christian armies that 
stormed through Muslim territory

344
00:18:54,666 --> 00:18:57,966
in a series of religious wars 
through much of the Middle Ages.

345
00:18:58,033 --> 00:18:59,800
While their mission 
was to be sure

346
00:18:59,866 --> 00:19:03,333
Christian pilgrims had access 
to their Holy Land in Jerusalem,

347
00:19:03,400 --> 00:19:06,966
the so-called holy crusades 
often got sidetracked

348
00:19:07,033 --> 00:19:10,766
with the rape, pillage, 
and plunder dimensions of war.

349
00:19:10,833 --> 00:19:12,966
Of all the plundered art 
in this church,

350
00:19:13,033 --> 00:19:15,866
perhaps the grandest prize 
was a set of horses

351
00:19:15,933 --> 00:19:18,133
which overlooked 
Venice's main square.

352
00:19:18,200 --> 00:19:21,433
The precious originals, like so 
much of Europe's greatest art,

353
00:19:21,500 --> 00:19:25,600
are now inside, 
safely out of the elements.

354
00:19:25,666 --> 00:19:28,000
These much-coveted 
and exquisitely-cast

355
00:19:28,066 --> 00:19:30,666
ancient bronze horses -- 
so realistic --

356
00:19:30,733 --> 00:19:33,100
are certainly well-traveled.

357
00:19:33,166 --> 00:19:35,100
According to legend,

358
00:19:35,166 --> 00:19:37,566
they were made for the Greek 
ruler Alexander the Great

359
00:19:37,633 --> 00:19:40,266
in the 4th century BC,

360
00:19:40,333 --> 00:19:42,333
taken by Emperor Nero to Rome,

361
00:19:42,400 --> 00:19:45,800
and then brought by Emperor 
Constantine to Constantinople,

362
00:19:45,866 --> 00:19:48,466
where the Venetian Crusaders 
stole them, took them home,

363
00:19:48,533 --> 00:19:51,366
and parked them here 
in their main church.

364
00:19:51,433 --> 00:19:55,133
♪♪

365
00:19:55,200 --> 00:19:57,500
The church's entire interior

366
00:19:57,566 --> 00:20:00,266
glitters with 
gold-leaf mosaic work.

367
00:20:00,333 --> 00:20:02,066
In good medieval tradition,

368
00:20:02,133 --> 00:20:06,433
it's slathered in 
the predictable Bible stories.

369
00:20:06,500 --> 00:20:09,100
The story of Adam and Eve, 
one of the most popular,

370
00:20:09,166 --> 00:20:12,233
unfolds like a cartoon strip --

371
00:20:12,300 --> 00:20:15,033
Adam, lonely in the garden,

372
00:20:15,100 --> 00:20:19,333
the creation of Eve, 
and then trouble,

373
00:20:19,400 --> 00:20:25,100
from apple to fig leaf 
to banishment.

374
00:20:25,166 --> 00:20:28,600
The Venetians learned mosaic 
technique from the Byzantines,

375
00:20:28,666 --> 00:20:30,933
who inherited it 
from the ancient Romans

376
00:20:31,000 --> 00:20:34,766
who paved their villas 
with mosaics.

377
00:20:34,833 --> 00:20:37,200
The Byzantines perfected 
the gold color,

378
00:20:37,266 --> 00:20:40,133
made of bits of glass 
with gold leaf baked in.

379
00:20:40,200 --> 00:20:42,233
These reflected the light

380
00:20:42,300 --> 00:20:45,200
to help illuminate 
an otherwise dark church,

381
00:20:45,266 --> 00:20:49,666
giving it the golden glow 
of the Byzantine Heaven.

382
00:20:49,733 --> 00:20:52,266
St. Mark's Byzantine-style 
altarpiece

383
00:20:52,333 --> 00:20:54,133
is a stunning wall of gold,

384
00:20:54,200 --> 00:20:58,433
studded with precious rubies, 
emeralds, and pearls.

385
00:20:58,500 --> 00:21:03,000
Some 200 enamels plundered from 
Constantinople depict prophets,

386
00:21:03,066 --> 00:21:05,433
saints, and angels.

387
00:21:05,500 --> 00:21:08,400
And in the glorious center 
of it all sits Christ,

388
00:21:08,466 --> 00:21:11,133
the ruler of the cosmos.

389
00:21:11,200 --> 00:21:13,400
With its stunning art,

390
00:21:13,466 --> 00:21:17,500
St. Mark's Basilica is a vision 
of a highly-cultured world

391
00:21:17,566 --> 00:21:19,633
that had been established 
by the Romans,

392
00:21:19,700 --> 00:21:21,766
was preserved by the Byzantines,

393
00:21:21,833 --> 00:21:26,800
and was now being reinfused 
into Western Europe.

394
00:21:26,866 --> 00:21:28,900
Meanwhile, 
in the Southwest of Europe,

395
00:21:28,966 --> 00:21:31,666
the world of Islam 
was shining a highly-cultured

396
00:21:31,733 --> 00:21:34,466
and influential light 
into medieval Europe.

397
00:21:34,533 --> 00:21:37,033
In the year 711, 
North African Muslims

398
00:21:37,100 --> 00:21:40,200
crossed the Strait of Gibraltar, 
conquering and converting.

399
00:21:40,266 --> 00:21:42,233
For the next seven centuries,

400
00:21:42,300 --> 00:21:45,633
much of Spain was ruled 
by these Moors.

401
00:21:45,700 --> 00:21:49,800
Cordoba was the leading city 
of Muslim Spain.

402
00:21:49,866 --> 00:21:52,800
Arguably Europe's cultural 
capital in the 9th century,

403
00:21:52,866 --> 00:21:57,100
it had, perhaps, 10 times 
the population of Paris.

404
00:21:57,166 --> 00:21:59,000
Its massive former mosque

405
00:21:59,066 --> 00:22:02,766
dominates the tangled 
medieval city that surrounds it.

406
00:22:02,833 --> 00:22:05,800
Grand gates 
lead to the courtyard.

407
00:22:05,866 --> 00:22:08,333
Inside is a forest 
of delicate columns

408
00:22:08,400 --> 00:22:13,500
and horseshoe arches 
built 10 centuries ago.

409
00:22:13,566 --> 00:22:17,066
The columns and arches seem 
to recede to infinity,

410
00:22:17,133 --> 00:22:20,200
as if reflecting the immensity 
and complexity

411
00:22:20,266 --> 00:22:23,333
of God's creation.

412
00:22:23,400 --> 00:22:26,400
Under their rule, this 
distinctive style of the Moors

413
00:22:26,466 --> 00:22:28,633
spread throughout 
Southwestern Europe,

414
00:22:28,700 --> 00:22:32,733
or the Iberian Peninsula.

415
00:22:32,800 --> 00:22:37,033
Granada's Alhambra, the last 
and greatest Moorish palace,

416
00:22:37,100 --> 00:22:40,433
shows off the splendor 
of that Muslim civilization.

417
00:22:40,500 --> 00:22:43,800
♪♪

418
00:22:43,866 --> 00:22:46,566
The math necessary to 
construct this palace

419
00:22:46,633 --> 00:22:49,066
dazzled Europeans of the age.

420
00:22:49,133 --> 00:22:58,000
♪♪

421
00:22:58,066 --> 00:23:00,166
The decor was exquisite,

422
00:23:00,233 --> 00:23:04,400
artfully combining both 
engineering and esthetics --

423
00:23:04,466 --> 00:23:06,600
water and stone.

424
00:23:06,666 --> 00:23:09,633
In the throne room, 
the sultan would sit regally

425
00:23:09,700 --> 00:23:12,733
under an awe-inspiring 
wooden ceiling.

426
00:23:12,800 --> 00:23:16,800
With 8,000 pieces inlaid 
like a giant jigsaw puzzle,

427
00:23:16,866 --> 00:23:21,666
it symbolizes the complexity 
of Allah's infinite universe.

428
00:23:21,733 --> 00:23:24,433
Arabic calligraphy, 
mostly poems

429
00:23:24,500 --> 00:23:29,066
and verses of praise 
from the Koran, is everywhere.

430
00:23:29,133 --> 00:23:32,833
Muslims avoid making images of 
living creatures in holy spaces,

431
00:23:32,900 --> 00:23:34,933
believing that's God's work.

432
00:23:35,000 --> 00:23:38,900
But decorating with 
religious script is fine.

433
00:23:38,966 --> 00:23:42,333
One phrase, 
"Only God is victorious,"

434
00:23:42,400 --> 00:23:44,533
is repeated thousands of times,

435
00:23:44,600 --> 00:23:49,733
as if a sacred visual chant 
throughout the Alhambra.

436
00:23:49,800 --> 00:23:53,300
By the way, while churches 
portray people like this,

437
00:23:53,366 --> 00:23:56,766
in mosques, rather than images 
of saints and prophets,

438
00:23:56,833 --> 00:24:00,766
you'll see geometrical designs 
and calligraphy.

439
00:24:00,833 --> 00:24:03,000
This explains why, historically,

440
00:24:03,066 --> 00:24:06,200
the Muslim world excelled 
at non-figurative art,

441
00:24:06,266 --> 00:24:09,066
while artists from Christian 
Europe focused on painting

442
00:24:09,133 --> 00:24:11,433
and sculpting the human form.

443
00:24:11,500 --> 00:24:14,233
Artful Arabic calligraphy 
generally shows

444
00:24:14,300 --> 00:24:18,066
excerpts from the Koran 
and quotes from Muhammad.

445
00:24:18,133 --> 00:24:20,833
As a church would show 
portrayals of Jesus and God

446
00:24:20,900 --> 00:24:23,100
front and center, 
in a mosque,

447
00:24:23,166 --> 00:24:26,000
elaborate medallions of script 
high above the prayer niche

448
00:24:26,066 --> 00:24:28,600
read "Muhammad" or "Allah."

449
00:24:31,133 --> 00:24:34,700
Christian forces slowly pushed 
the Moors back into Africa

450
00:24:34,766 --> 00:24:36,700
and reconquered Spain.

451
00:24:36,766 --> 00:24:38,466
With their Reconquista,

452
00:24:38,533 --> 00:24:40,733
Cordoba's mosque became 
a Christian church,

453
00:24:40,800 --> 00:24:43,866
with a huge chapel 
planted in its center.

454
00:24:43,933 --> 00:24:49,500
Seville's Alcazar Palace 
soon housed Spanish kings.

455
00:24:49,566 --> 00:24:51,700
But even after the reconquest,

456
00:24:51,766 --> 00:24:55,033
as Moorish artisans 
worked for Christian rulers,

457
00:24:55,100 --> 00:24:58,500
that Muslim legacy 
lived on in Spain.

458
00:24:58,566 --> 00:25:02,700
♪♪

459
00:25:02,766 --> 00:25:04,666
With Muslims 
on the southern fringe

460
00:25:04,733 --> 00:25:06,533
and Byzantines to the East,

461
00:25:06,600 --> 00:25:09,433
early medieval Europeans 
had one more surprisingly

462
00:25:09,500 --> 00:25:12,233
sophisticated culture 
on their northern border --

463
00:25:12,300 --> 00:25:14,800
the Vikings.

464
00:25:14,866 --> 00:25:17,133
Though best known 
as fierce marauders,

465
00:25:17,200 --> 00:25:20,133
the Vikings were also 
wide-ranging sea traders

466
00:25:20,200 --> 00:25:23,233
and hardy settlers 
with their own artful culture,

467
00:25:23,300 --> 00:25:26,100
one that dated back well before 
the 11th-century arrival

468
00:25:26,166 --> 00:25:29,700
of Christianity 
to pagan times.

469
00:25:29,766 --> 00:25:32,000
Their remarkable ships are icons

470
00:25:32,066 --> 00:25:35,133
of those days of pillage 
and plunder.

471
00:25:35,200 --> 00:25:38,766
In formidable boats like this, 
finely crafted of oak,

472
00:25:38,833 --> 00:25:40,733
the Vikings ranged far and wide

473
00:25:40,800 --> 00:25:43,300
from their Scandinavian 
homeland.

474
00:25:43,366 --> 00:25:46,566
Gazing up at the prow 
of one of these sleek vessels,

475
00:25:46,633 --> 00:25:49,933
you can imagine the horror 
peasants as far away as France,

476
00:25:50,000 --> 00:25:53,900
England, or Ireland felt when 
those redheads on the rampage

477
00:25:53,966 --> 00:25:56,200
sailed up their river.

478
00:25:56,266 --> 00:25:58,466
It's often said that, 
for generations,

479
00:25:58,533 --> 00:26:01,700
the standard close of 
the prayers for many Europeans

480
00:26:01,766 --> 00:26:07,700
was not "amen" but "and deliver 
us from the Norsemen -- amen."

481
00:26:09,066 --> 00:26:12,033
While feared raiders, 
they also had a remarkable sense

482
00:26:12,100 --> 00:26:14,500
of beauty and design.

483
00:26:14,566 --> 00:26:19,866
That's clear in the excavations 
of the graves of Viking rulers.

484
00:26:19,933 --> 00:26:22,066
The Vikings worshiped pagan gods

485
00:26:22,133 --> 00:26:25,300
and believed in a life 
after death.

486
00:26:25,366 --> 00:26:28,900
And they believed 
you could take it with you.

487
00:26:28,966 --> 00:26:31,133
In their graves, 
archeologists have found

488
00:26:31,200 --> 00:26:33,866
everything from jewelry 
to weapons,

489
00:26:33,933 --> 00:26:36,966
much of it with 
an impressive artistic flair.

490
00:26:39,433 --> 00:26:41,800
Viking chieftains were buried 
in their ships

491
00:26:41,866 --> 00:26:44,500
alongside their possessions,

492
00:26:44,566 --> 00:26:47,600
like fine leather accessories,

493
00:26:47,666 --> 00:26:50,433
ornately-carved sleighs,

494
00:26:50,500 --> 00:26:52,466
or even a horse cart

495
00:26:52,533 --> 00:26:57,600
decorated with scenes 
from old Viking sagas.

496
00:26:57,666 --> 00:27:01,333
Their artistic objects 
seemed to provide a link

497
00:27:01,400 --> 00:27:05,966
between this world and the next.

498
00:27:06,033 --> 00:27:08,033
Over time, 
the Vikings intermingled

499
00:27:08,100 --> 00:27:11,400
with the Christian people 
they previously terrorized.

500
00:27:11,466 --> 00:27:13,500
Eventually converted and tamed,

501
00:27:13,566 --> 00:27:16,066
Vikings redirected 
their boatbuilding skills,

502
00:27:16,133 --> 00:27:19,166
and rather than sleek ships 
to raid in,

503
00:27:19,233 --> 00:27:23,266
they built fine wooden churches 
to pray in.

504
00:27:23,333 --> 00:27:28,000
There were once over 1,000 
of these stave churches.

505
00:27:28,066 --> 00:27:30,266
Because little remains 
from societies

506
00:27:30,333 --> 00:27:32,166
that built primarily of wood,

507
00:27:32,233 --> 00:27:36,533
few of these churches survive.

508
00:27:36,600 --> 00:27:40,000
They were supported 
by pine poles, or staves,

509
00:27:40,066 --> 00:27:44,666
and slathered with 
a protective coat of black tar.

510
00:27:44,733 --> 00:27:47,766
Wood was plentiful and cheap.

511
00:27:47,833 --> 00:27:49,700
While the basic design reflects

512
00:27:49,766 --> 00:27:51,900
the simple technology 
of the age,

513
00:27:51,966 --> 00:27:54,200
more elaborate examples, 
like this one,

514
00:27:54,266 --> 00:27:58,500
stand as proud testaments to 
the Norse culture and its art.

515
00:27:58,566 --> 00:28:01,266
Carvings evoke the pagan roots

516
00:28:01,333 --> 00:28:05,200
of these early 
Norwegian Christians.

517
00:28:05,266 --> 00:28:07,833
Stylized dragons, 
reminiscent of those

518
00:28:07,900 --> 00:28:10,866
that once adorned Viking ships, 
probably functioned

519
00:28:10,933 --> 00:28:16,333
like gargoyles 
to keep evil spirits at bay.

520
00:28:16,400 --> 00:28:19,600
Interiors were stark and dark, 
with tiny windows

521
00:28:19,666 --> 00:28:22,700
and simple "X"-shaped crosses 
of Saint Andrew,

522
00:28:22,766 --> 00:28:25,300
a local patron saint.

523
00:28:25,366 --> 00:28:30,300
The architecture guides your 
gaze upwards, toward Heaven.

524
00:28:30,366 --> 00:28:33,333
The Vikings were yet 
another example

525
00:28:33,400 --> 00:28:36,833
of the blending of ancient pagan 
and Christian culture

526
00:28:36,900 --> 00:28:40,700
that would eventually create 
the Europe we know today.

527
00:28:40,766 --> 00:28:43,666
♪♪

528
00:28:43,733 --> 00:28:47,566
By the year 1000, 
Europe was on the rise.

529
00:28:47,633 --> 00:28:49,800
Entering a period called 
the High Middle Ages,

530
00:28:49,866 --> 00:28:53,633
it was a time of growing 
innovation, trade, and travel.

531
00:28:53,700 --> 00:28:56,633
Christianity was dominant, and 
people celebrated their faith

532
00:28:56,700 --> 00:28:58,900
by building great structures.

533
00:28:58,966 --> 00:29:02,300
The imposing Romanesque style 
was eventually eclipsed

534
00:29:02,366 --> 00:29:05,800
by an even grander style -- 
Gothic.

535
00:29:05,866 --> 00:29:09,066
Gothic was an architectural 
leap forward,

536
00:29:09,133 --> 00:29:12,233
with taller and taller churches 
reaching for the heavens

537
00:29:12,300 --> 00:29:15,733
and filled 
with more and more light.

538
00:29:15,800 --> 00:29:17,633
Fueled by their faith,

539
00:29:17,700 --> 00:29:21,900
Europeans built towering 
cathedrals to the glory of God.

540
00:29:21,966 --> 00:29:25,566
Each community tried 
to outdo the other,

541
00:29:25,633 --> 00:29:30,500
with churches 
featuring soaring naves.

542
00:29:30,566 --> 00:29:33,400
Supported by elaborate 
pointed arches

543
00:29:33,466 --> 00:29:35,333
and flooded with light,

544
00:29:35,400 --> 00:29:37,533
Gothic seemed to be emblematic

545
00:29:37,600 --> 00:29:42,066
of a Europe moving 
upward and onward.

546
00:29:42,133 --> 00:29:45,766
The Gothic style was born 
in France in the 12th century.

547
00:29:45,833 --> 00:29:48,766
The cathedral in Chartres, 
one of the first, greatest,

548
00:29:48,833 --> 00:29:51,300
and most influential 
Gothic churches,

549
00:29:51,366 --> 00:29:54,633
captures the spirit 
of this Age of Faith,

550
00:29:54,700 --> 00:29:57,933
as the Middle Ages 
were nicknamed.

551
00:29:58,000 --> 00:30:02,000
Magnificent structures were 
built by the sweat of peasants,

552
00:30:02,066 --> 00:30:03,300
construction projects

553
00:30:03,366 --> 00:30:07,366
that dominated entire 
communities for generations,

554
00:30:07,433 --> 00:30:10,400
all for the glory of God.

555
00:30:10,466 --> 00:30:12,733
Towering churches like this 
became sites

556
00:30:12,800 --> 00:30:16,666
which, for centuries, 
broke distant horizons,

557
00:30:16,733 --> 00:30:21,833
heartening the weary spirits 
of approaching pilgrims.

558
00:30:21,900 --> 00:30:23,766
Gothic churches were taller

559
00:30:23,833 --> 00:30:26,000
and brighter 
than the earlier Romanesque.

560
00:30:26,066 --> 00:30:28,466
They were made with 
a skeleton of support.

561
00:30:28,533 --> 00:30:31,133
The key to Gothic 
is the pointed arch.

562
00:30:31,200 --> 00:30:33,966
A Romanesque church is built 
with round arches.

563
00:30:34,033 --> 00:30:36,566
With a round arch, 
the weight pushes down,

564
00:30:36,633 --> 00:30:39,266
but with a pointed arch, 
the weight pushes not down,

565
00:30:39,333 --> 00:30:40,533
but out.

566
00:30:40,600 --> 00:30:43,033
As a tour guide, 
it's fun to demonstrate this

567
00:30:43,100 --> 00:30:46,433
by building a Gothic cathedral 
out of tourists.

568
00:30:46,500 --> 00:30:48,700
You start with six columns.

569
00:30:48,766 --> 00:30:50,633
These will support 
the roof with ribs --

570
00:30:50,700 --> 00:30:53,533
ignore the elbows -- coming 
together with pointed arches.

571
00:30:53,600 --> 00:30:56,033
The key to Gothic 
is the pointed arch.

572
00:30:56,100 --> 00:30:58,666
A Romanesque church is built 
with round arches.

573
00:30:58,733 --> 00:31:01,366
With a round arch, the weight 
sits squarely on the wall,

574
00:31:01,433 --> 00:31:03,066
and it needs to be 
thick and strong.

575
00:31:03,133 --> 00:31:05,733
If a round arch collapses, 
it falls down.

576
00:31:05,800 --> 00:31:07,400
But if you point the arches,

577
00:31:07,466 --> 00:31:11,066
suddenly the weight of the roof 
pushes not down, but out.

578
00:31:11,133 --> 00:31:13,533
So rather than thick walls, 
you need to buttress

579
00:31:13,600 --> 00:31:16,433
the building 
by adding support pushing in.

580
00:31:16,500 --> 00:31:19,800
So you need six more tourists 
to be buttresses.

581
00:31:19,866 --> 00:31:21,200
With buttresses rather than

582
00:31:21,266 --> 00:31:22,666
thick walls 
supporting the church,

583
00:31:22,733 --> 00:31:25,333
the walls are freed 
to become window holders,

584
00:31:25,400 --> 00:31:26,733
letting in more light.

585
00:31:26,800 --> 00:31:28,700
To free up 
even more wall space,

586
00:31:28,766 --> 00:31:31,333
you can make the buttresses 
flying buttresses,

587
00:31:31,400 --> 00:31:35,066
with their support flying in 
with more arches.

588
00:31:35,133 --> 00:31:37,700
Are you guys ready for a spire? 
-Yes, we are.

589
00:31:37,766 --> 00:31:39,633
-Okay.

590
00:31:39,700 --> 00:31:42,666
Now when the spire is raised, 
because of the pointed arches,

591
00:31:42,733 --> 00:31:45,066
the weight goes out 
rather than down.

592
00:31:45,133 --> 00:31:48,166
And with buttresses in place, 
everything is solid.

593
00:31:48,233 --> 00:31:50,633
Windows can fill the spaces 
between the columns.

594
00:31:50,700 --> 00:31:54,533
And you've built a Gothic church 
out of tourists.

595
00:31:54,600 --> 00:31:56,500
All right, thank you. 
-Yep.

596
00:31:56,566 --> 00:31:59,066
-That was good. 
[ Applause ]

597
00:31:59,133 --> 00:32:02,866
-One more time, one more time, 
one more time.

598
00:32:02,933 --> 00:32:06,766
-As the Gothic style 
spread outward from France,

599
00:32:06,833 --> 00:32:10,700
Europe was soon dotted 
with magnificent cathedrals.

600
00:32:10,766 --> 00:32:13,000
While each had 
its own personality,

601
00:32:13,066 --> 00:32:17,633
all were fundamentally Gothic,

602
00:32:17,700 --> 00:32:20,733
with pointed arches,

603
00:32:20,800 --> 00:32:26,266
lots of stained glass, 
and stately statues.

604
00:32:26,333 --> 00:32:29,033
Grand entrances came with 
a heavenly host

605
00:32:29,100 --> 00:32:31,266
offering a stony welcome.

606
00:32:31,333 --> 00:32:35,766
And multitasking gargoyles 
served as fancy rain spouts

607
00:32:35,833 --> 00:32:39,666
while busy scaring away 
evil spirits.

608
00:32:39,733 --> 00:32:41,633
The style evolved.

609
00:32:41,700 --> 00:32:45,466
Over time, churches grew taller 
and more elaborate.

610
00:32:45,533 --> 00:32:47,733
In England, 
the final flowering of Gothic

611
00:32:47,800 --> 00:32:49,600
is called perpendicular,

612
00:32:49,666 --> 00:32:52,800
with an emphasis 
on vertical lines.

613
00:32:52,866 --> 00:32:55,066
The original simplicity 
of ribbed vaults

614
00:32:55,133 --> 00:32:58,133
was replaced 
by elaborate fan vaulting.

615
00:32:58,200 --> 00:33:03,833
♪♪

616
00:33:03,900 --> 00:33:06,033
And this cathedral in Milan

617
00:33:06,100 --> 00:33:08,366
illustrates the final stage 
of Gothic,

618
00:33:08,433 --> 00:33:11,366
called flamboyant 
for its flame-like spires

619
00:33:11,433 --> 00:33:13,700
and over-the-top features.

620
00:33:15,833 --> 00:33:18,900
Bathed in the light 
of a Gothic interior,

621
00:33:18,966 --> 00:33:22,033
we appreciate how this style, 
with its huge windows

622
00:33:22,100 --> 00:33:24,233
filling the sacred space 
with light,

623
00:33:24,300 --> 00:33:28,766
is such an improvement over 
the darker Romanesque style.

624
00:33:28,833 --> 00:33:32,400
Most medieval churches are built 
to look like a Latin cross,

625
00:33:32,466 --> 00:33:35,366
with columns defining 
a long, central nave

626
00:33:35,433 --> 00:33:38,066
and short arms called transepts.

627
00:33:38,133 --> 00:33:40,500
As the church generally 
faced East,

628
00:33:40,566 --> 00:33:42,566
the entry is the West portal.

629
00:33:42,633 --> 00:33:45,833
There's a North transept 
and a South transept,

630
00:33:45,900 --> 00:33:51,100
and the altar is in the East, 
symbolically facing Jerusalem.

631
00:33:51,166 --> 00:33:54,733
Religious pilgrimages were 
a big deal in medieval Europe,

632
00:33:54,800 --> 00:33:57,633
and the greatest churches were 
designed to handle large crowds

633
00:33:57,700 --> 00:33:59,900
during holy days and festivals.

634
00:33:59,966 --> 00:34:03,433
This space was the ambulatory, 
and it was designed for pilgrims

635
00:34:03,500 --> 00:34:05,433
who may have walked for weeks 
to get here

636
00:34:05,500 --> 00:34:07,733
to amble through the church.

637
00:34:07,800 --> 00:34:10,300
They'd circulate behind 
the high altar,

638
00:34:10,366 --> 00:34:13,700
around the semicircular 
far end, or apse,

639
00:34:13,766 --> 00:34:17,700
worshiping at the various side 
chapels that fit their needs.

640
00:34:17,766 --> 00:34:21,200
♪♪

641
00:34:21,266 --> 00:34:25,433
Many Gothic churches have an 
enclosed space called the choir,

642
00:34:25,500 --> 00:34:29,733
often elaborately carved, 
where monks or VIPs could gather

643
00:34:29,800 --> 00:34:35,000
for more intimate services 
in an otherwise vast space.

644
00:34:35,066 --> 00:34:37,866
In a time when daily life 
was pretty bleak,

645
00:34:37,933 --> 00:34:41,233
attending mass provided 
a needed escape,

646
00:34:41,300 --> 00:34:45,166
a peek at the promised glories 
that awaited the faithful.

647
00:34:45,233 --> 00:34:47,433
[ Choir singing ]

648
00:34:47,500 --> 00:34:51,266
Even today, attending a service, 
especially in the choir,

649
00:34:51,333 --> 00:34:53,000
can spark a church to life

650
00:34:53,066 --> 00:34:56,533
by filling it 
with both worship and music.

651
00:34:56,600 --> 00:34:59,000
[ Singing continues ]

652
00:34:59,066 --> 00:35:01,400
[ Organ playing ]

653
00:35:01,466 --> 00:35:06,900
♪♪

654
00:35:06,966 --> 00:35:12,333
♪♪

655
00:35:12,400 --> 00:35:15,900
These huge caverns of stone 
needed to be decorated,

656
00:35:15,966 --> 00:35:18,133
and they were filled 
with the most glorious art

657
00:35:18,200 --> 00:35:19,433
of the Gothic world --

658
00:35:19,500 --> 00:35:22,566
towering altarpieces, 
inspiring statues,

659
00:35:22,633 --> 00:35:26,566
and, the triumph of Gothic, 
exquisite stained glass.

660
00:35:26,633 --> 00:35:30,733
Sainte-Chapelle in Paris 
is a fine example.

661
00:35:30,800 --> 00:35:32,533
In typical Gothic style,

662
00:35:32,600 --> 00:35:34,966
the church is a skeleton 
of support,

663
00:35:35,033 --> 00:35:37,666
with buttressed columns, 
ribs, and pointed arches

664
00:35:37,733 --> 00:35:40,366
supporting the stone roof 
and freeing the walls

665
00:35:40,433 --> 00:35:43,400
to be window frames, 
in this case,

666
00:35:43,466 --> 00:35:48,366
to hold Europe's best 
original 13th-century glass.

667
00:35:48,433 --> 00:35:50,833
In the Bible, it's clear.

668
00:35:50,900 --> 00:35:52,633
Light is divine.

669
00:35:52,700 --> 00:35:55,733
And with Gothic, light pours 
through stained glass,

670
00:35:55,800 --> 00:36:00,400
turning dark stone buildings 
into colorful lanterns of light.

671
00:36:00,466 --> 00:36:08,600
♪♪

672
00:36:08,666 --> 00:36:10,666
Chartres Cathedral is beloved

673
00:36:10,733 --> 00:36:13,266
for both its stained glass 
and statues,

674
00:36:13,333 --> 00:36:18,100
which, together, weave 
a unified Christian story.

675
00:36:18,166 --> 00:36:21,133
In the Book of Chartres, 
as some nicknamed the church,

676
00:36:21,200 --> 00:36:23,833
the text is the sculpture 
and windows,

677
00:36:23,900 --> 00:36:26,866
and its binding 
is the architecture.

678
00:36:29,166 --> 00:36:31,366
The nave is vast,

679
00:36:31,433 --> 00:36:36,333
lit by magnificent 800-year-old 
stained-glass.

680
00:36:36,400 --> 00:36:38,833
The light pouring 
through these windows

681
00:36:38,900 --> 00:36:44,233
was mystical and encouraged 
meditation and prayer.

682
00:36:44,300 --> 00:36:47,066
The stained glass was used 
to help teach Bible stories

683
00:36:47,133 --> 00:36:48,500
to the illiterate faithful,

684
00:36:48,566 --> 00:36:53,566
and it gave worshipers images 
to focus on as they prayed.

685
00:36:53,633 --> 00:36:56,066
Windows can be read 
from bottom to top,

686
00:36:56,133 --> 00:36:59,100
as if from Earth to Heaven.

687
00:36:59,166 --> 00:37:02,066
The brilliant color is from 
minerals mixed into the glass

688
00:37:02,133 --> 00:37:07,333
as it's made, such as cobalt 
for the dazzling blue.

689
00:37:07,400 --> 00:37:09,700
The windows lead the reader

690
00:37:09,766 --> 00:37:13,166
through a series 
of dramatic scenes.

691
00:37:13,233 --> 00:37:15,700
For example, The Last Supper,

692
00:37:15,766 --> 00:37:18,800
Jesus washing 
his disciples' feet,

693
00:37:18,866 --> 00:37:22,466
his betrayal, 
with the kiss of Judas,

694
00:37:22,533 --> 00:37:25,700
and the crucifixion.

695
00:37:25,766 --> 00:37:28,466
The amazing thing 
in the 21st century,

696
00:37:28,533 --> 00:37:30,666
Chartres is perfectly intact

697
00:37:30,733 --> 00:37:32,900
and can be read 
like a book today,

698
00:37:32,966 --> 00:37:36,633
as it was eight centuries ago.

699
00:37:36,700 --> 00:37:39,300
♪♪

700
00:37:39,366 --> 00:37:42,033
In England, the York Minster 
brilliantly shows

701
00:37:42,100 --> 00:37:45,233
that the late Middle Ages 
were far from dark.

702
00:37:45,300 --> 00:37:47,966
♪♪

703
00:37:48,033 --> 00:37:52,033
This window's the size 
of a tennis court.

704
00:37:52,100 --> 00:37:55,200
The intricacy of the stone 
framing, or tracery,

705
00:37:55,266 --> 00:37:58,466
and how the tiny panes of glass 
are held together by lead

706
00:37:58,533 --> 00:38:00,166
is exquisite.

707
00:38:00,233 --> 00:38:03,866
The fine details, far too tiny 
to see from the floor,

708
00:38:03,933 --> 00:38:06,933
are said to be 
for God's eyes only.

709
00:38:07,000 --> 00:38:11,500
♪♪

710
00:38:11,566 --> 00:38:14,000
As the church was the leading 
patron of the arts

711
00:38:14,066 --> 00:38:15,333
throughout the Middle Ages,

712
00:38:15,400 --> 00:38:17,833
it owned the greatest 
artistic treasures,

713
00:38:17,900 --> 00:38:20,400
and many of those treasures 
remain in situ,

714
00:38:20,466 --> 00:38:22,566
not in the museums, 
but in the churches

715
00:38:22,633 --> 00:38:25,966
where they were 
originally designed to be seen.

716
00:38:26,033 --> 00:38:28,733
The centerpiece of each church 
throughout the ages

717
00:38:28,800 --> 00:38:30,000
was the altar,

718
00:38:30,066 --> 00:38:33,166
generally with an elaborate 
single piece of art,

719
00:38:33,233 --> 00:38:36,166
painted...

720
00:38:36,233 --> 00:38:39,500
or carved,

721
00:38:39,566 --> 00:38:42,533
featuring Christ,

722
00:38:42,600 --> 00:38:44,833
the Virgin Mary,

723
00:38:44,900 --> 00:38:46,866
a patron saint,

724
00:38:46,933 --> 00:38:49,733
or a particular Bible scene.

725
00:38:49,800 --> 00:38:53,366
Some of the altarpieces 
were huge and overwhelming,

726
00:38:53,433 --> 00:38:55,933
telling the story of Christ 
scene by scene,

727
00:38:56,033 --> 00:38:58,633
from manger to resurrection.

728
00:38:58,700 --> 00:39:01,566
♪♪

729
00:39:01,633 --> 00:39:05,566
And many altarpieces come 
with panels on hinges.

730
00:39:05,633 --> 00:39:08,166
Some have many panels that, 
when opened,

731
00:39:08,233 --> 00:39:09,866
reveal a series of scenes

732
00:39:09,933 --> 00:39:12,800
designed to 
better inspire worship.

733
00:39:12,866 --> 00:39:15,866
Here, we see the end 
of the Virgin's life on Earth

734
00:39:15,933 --> 00:39:18,966
with heartbreaking 
medieval emotion.

735
00:39:21,033 --> 00:39:24,033
Many church altars had 
a painting like this one,

736
00:39:24,100 --> 00:39:28,133
showing Mary seated on a throne 
with baby Jesus on her lap,

737
00:39:28,200 --> 00:39:31,666
flanked by saints and angels 
with plate-like halos,

738
00:39:31,733 --> 00:39:34,300
amid the radiance of Heaven,

739
00:39:34,366 --> 00:39:37,266
made with real gold leaf 
to glow,

740
00:39:37,333 --> 00:39:40,566
especially in the candlelight.

741
00:39:40,633 --> 00:39:44,500
This opulent altarpiece 
also tells the story of Jesus,

742
00:39:44,566 --> 00:39:46,933
like pages of a comic book 
ripped out

743
00:39:47,000 --> 00:39:48,933
and laid side by side.

744
00:39:49,000 --> 00:39:52,666
It wasn't terribly realistic 
by modern standards.

745
00:39:52,733 --> 00:39:54,666
Mary's throne looks cockeyed,

746
00:39:54,733 --> 00:39:57,600
and the food could slide 
right off this table.

747
00:39:57,666 --> 00:40:00,600
But the art brought 
sacred stories to life,

748
00:40:00,666 --> 00:40:02,900
inspiring the faithful.

749
00:40:05,233 --> 00:40:08,166
Imagine the power of Gothic art 
emotionally,

750
00:40:08,233 --> 00:40:10,333
religiously, and politically.

751
00:40:10,400 --> 00:40:14,133
In the Middle Ages, art was 
the advertising of the day,

752
00:40:14,200 --> 00:40:16,100
a perspective-shaping tool.

753
00:40:16,166 --> 00:40:19,100
Artists were hired 
by the powerful to inspire

754
00:40:19,166 --> 00:40:22,033
and also to promote conformity.

755
00:40:22,100 --> 00:40:24,933
Church art has always 
had an agenda --

756
00:40:25,000 --> 00:40:28,433
to teach by telling stories 
and through symbolism.

757
00:40:28,500 --> 00:40:30,800
Martyrs were known 
by how they died.

758
00:40:30,866 --> 00:40:34,233
Riddled with arrows? 
Saint Sebastian.

759
00:40:34,300 --> 00:40:37,633
Decapitated? 
Saint Denis.

760
00:40:37,700 --> 00:40:41,400
Death by grilling? 
It's got to be Saint Lawrence.

761
00:40:41,466 --> 00:40:44,866
Gospel writers are shown 
holding a book.

762
00:40:44,933 --> 00:40:46,933
If a man has a cross 
in his halo,

763
00:40:47,000 --> 00:40:49,233
it can only be Jesus.

764
00:40:49,300 --> 00:40:53,233
And some regular person suddenly 
in the company of saints?

765
00:40:53,300 --> 00:40:56,800
Likely an important financial 
supporter of the church,

766
00:40:56,866 --> 00:41:00,166
a reminder of how people 
believed such patronage

767
00:41:00,233 --> 00:41:02,466
could help get you to Heaven.

768
00:41:02,533 --> 00:41:05,633
Accurate realism 
was not a concern.

769
00:41:05,700 --> 00:41:07,800
Paintings came with 
no natural setting,

770
00:41:07,866 --> 00:41:11,700
just an ethereal 
gold background.

771
00:41:11,766 --> 00:41:13,733
Buildings may have had 
four walls

772
00:41:13,800 --> 00:41:16,166
but little sense 
of actual depth.

773
00:41:18,266 --> 00:41:21,800
Bodies were flat, 
and expressions said little.

774
00:41:21,866 --> 00:41:25,566
The main thing -- 
tell the story.

775
00:41:25,633 --> 00:41:27,833
And if the message 
wasn't clear enough,

776
00:41:27,900 --> 00:41:30,500
the artist could literally 
spell it out.

777
00:41:30,566 --> 00:41:34,500
♪♪

778
00:41:34,566 --> 00:41:38,600
A hellish hot tub taught 
that people from all walks --

779
00:41:38,666 --> 00:41:42,866
nobles, kings, even bishops -- 
can end up in Hell.

780
00:41:42,933 --> 00:41:45,433
You were reminded 
that one day your sins

781
00:41:45,500 --> 00:41:50,033
would be accounted for, 
as if written on a ledger.

782
00:41:50,100 --> 00:41:51,966
[ Bell rings ]

783
00:41:52,033 --> 00:41:54,666
But it wasn't all 
fire and brimstone.

784
00:41:54,733 --> 00:41:57,300
While artists generally 
worked anonymously,

785
00:41:57,366 --> 00:42:01,733
they sometimes injected a little 
playfulness and personality.

786
00:42:01,800 --> 00:42:03,933
This man has a toothache.

787
00:42:04,000 --> 00:42:06,933
Another pulls a thorn 
from his foot.

788
00:42:07,000 --> 00:42:10,166
And here, a farmer clobbers 
a thief so hard,

789
00:42:10,233 --> 00:42:12,166
his hat falls off.

790
00:42:12,233 --> 00:42:16,200
♪♪

791
00:42:16,266 --> 00:42:18,933
Medieval pulpits 
from where the priest preached

792
00:42:19,000 --> 00:42:21,633
were often masterpieces 
in themselves,

793
00:42:21,700 --> 00:42:23,566
with finely-carved Bible stories

794
00:42:23,633 --> 00:42:27,200
and symbols that reinforced 
the gospel message.

795
00:42:27,266 --> 00:42:30,166
Readings were figuratively 
and literally supported

796
00:42:30,233 --> 00:42:34,100
by venerable leaders 
of the faith.

797
00:42:34,166 --> 00:42:36,533
Church treasuries 
are like museums,

798
00:42:36,600 --> 00:42:40,233
safely protecting 
jewel-encrusted gold and silver

799
00:42:40,300 --> 00:42:42,500
featuring dazzling workmanship,

800
00:42:42,566 --> 00:42:45,300
war trophies, 
and priceless gifts

801
00:42:45,366 --> 00:42:49,800
like this gold-encrusted 
unicorn tusk?

802
00:42:49,866 --> 00:42:52,333
Dazzling jeweled vessels 
called reliquaries

803
00:42:52,400 --> 00:42:56,233
were often masterpieces of art 
designed to protect relics.

804
00:42:56,300 --> 00:43:00,200
A relic is some physical 
reminder of Christ or a saint,

805
00:43:00,266 --> 00:43:02,533
like their bones 
or possessions --

806
00:43:02,600 --> 00:43:06,100
the finger of Saint Teresa,

807
00:43:06,166 --> 00:43:08,433
the jaw of Saint Anthony,

808
00:43:08,500 --> 00:43:12,766
perhaps a skull of a saint, 
complete with jewels and silver,

809
00:43:12,833 --> 00:43:18,366
or better yet, 
a full regally-dressed skeleton.

810
00:43:18,433 --> 00:43:22,266
Holy relics were the ruby 
slippers of medieval Europe.

811
00:43:22,333 --> 00:43:24,833
To the faithful, 
relics had power.

812
00:43:24,900 --> 00:43:27,333
They helped answer prayers, 
win wars,

813
00:43:27,400 --> 00:43:30,133
and, ultimately, 
they helped you get to Heaven.

814
00:43:30,200 --> 00:43:34,100
That's why pilgrims traveled 
far and wide to venerate relics,

815
00:43:34,166 --> 00:43:38,466
making the High Middle Ages 
a golden age of travel.

816
00:43:38,533 --> 00:43:42,700
In Venice, they came for the 
supposed bones of Saint Mark.

817
00:43:42,766 --> 00:43:46,100
In Padua, the vocal cords 
of Saint Anthony.

818
00:43:46,166 --> 00:43:48,033
An especially 
sought-after relic

819
00:43:48,100 --> 00:43:50,700
was a supposed piece 
of the original cross,

820
00:43:50,766 --> 00:43:53,200
like this one, 
with an actual nail hole,

821
00:43:53,266 --> 00:43:57,133
carried in a jewel-encrusted 
case by the emperors.

822
00:43:57,200 --> 00:44:02,333
In Paris, this entire church, 
so famed for its windows today,

823
00:44:02,400 --> 00:44:04,633
functioned as 
a reliquary itself,

824
00:44:04,700 --> 00:44:08,166
purpose built to house 
the supposed Crown of Thorns

825
00:44:08,233 --> 00:44:10,133
in all its glory.

826
00:44:10,200 --> 00:44:14,300
♪♪

827
00:44:14,366 --> 00:44:17,566
To this day, pilgrims pray 
at these relics.

828
00:44:17,633 --> 00:44:19,733
If a request for a miracle 
is answered,

829
00:44:19,800 --> 00:44:21,500
they might leave a votive.

830
00:44:21,566 --> 00:44:27,300
That's a token of gratitude for 
the saint's divine intervention.

831
00:44:27,366 --> 00:44:32,500
All of these elements, 
from relics to statues,

832
00:44:32,566 --> 00:44:37,100
from soaring arches to sun 
pouring through stained glass,

833
00:44:37,166 --> 00:44:39,533
were part of a unified 
ensemble of art,

834
00:44:39,600 --> 00:44:42,166
bringing the stone shell 
of a cathedral to life

835
00:44:42,233 --> 00:44:46,166
and designed to keep the church 
central to people's lives.

836
00:44:46,233 --> 00:44:48,466
Mix in a little music, 
and Gothic churches

837
00:44:48,533 --> 00:44:50,700
created a powerful experience,

838
00:44:50,766 --> 00:44:54,966
inspiring Europeans 
during this Age of Faith.

839
00:44:57,233 --> 00:45:00,766
Religion served art 
and art served religion

840
00:45:00,833 --> 00:45:02,266
throughout the Middle Ages.

841
00:45:02,333 --> 00:45:05,266
But in the later centuries, 
with rising prosperity,

842
00:45:05,333 --> 00:45:08,400
secular art, art which had 
nothing to do with God,

843
00:45:08,466 --> 00:45:10,700
was becoming 
increasingly common.

844
00:45:10,766 --> 00:45:13,000
It was art that served 
not the church,

845
00:45:13,066 --> 00:45:16,833
but Europe's rich and powerful.

846
00:45:16,900 --> 00:45:19,333
And this included architecture

847
00:45:19,400 --> 00:45:21,966
in an increasingly 
secular society.

848
00:45:22,033 --> 00:45:26,233
From Brussels to Siena, 
it was the Gothic city hall,

849
00:45:26,300 --> 00:45:29,833
not the church, that towered 
over the main square.

850
00:45:32,066 --> 00:45:34,166
And the elites of 
the High Middle Ages

851
00:45:34,233 --> 00:45:37,800
built Europe's magnificent 
castles and fortresses

852
00:45:37,866 --> 00:45:39,466
not for their salvation,

853
00:45:39,533 --> 00:45:44,500
but for both their protection 
and their pleasure.

854
00:45:44,566 --> 00:45:50,100
From Switzerland 
to the Rhineland

855
00:45:50,166 --> 00:45:56,900
and from distant Scotland 
to the South of France,

856
00:45:56,966 --> 00:45:59,366
castles and palaces 
provided a stage

857
00:45:59,433 --> 00:46:03,333
for the festivities 
of the medieval world,

858
00:46:03,400 --> 00:46:07,000
of chivalrous knights 
in shining armor,

859
00:46:07,066 --> 00:46:11,100
dazzling heraldry, and 
tournaments with flags flying.

860
00:46:11,166 --> 00:46:13,600
[ Trumpets, drums playing ]

861
00:46:13,666 --> 00:46:19,433
♪♪

862
00:46:19,500 --> 00:46:21,966
And with Europe's 
newfound wealth,

863
00:46:22,033 --> 00:46:24,233
these fortified palaces 
were decorated

864
00:46:24,300 --> 00:46:27,066
with increasingly secular art.

865
00:46:27,133 --> 00:46:29,500
Rather than saints 
and Bible lessons,

866
00:46:29,566 --> 00:46:33,400
this noble family wanted 
voluptuous swoops and curls,

867
00:46:33,466 --> 00:46:39,066
a fantasy of elves, 
jesters, archers,

868
00:46:39,133 --> 00:46:43,866
and fruity symbols of fertility.

869
00:46:43,933 --> 00:46:47,400
Tapestries on the wall 
both warmed the stone rooms

870
00:46:47,466 --> 00:46:50,766
and brightened the atmosphere 
with colorful scenes

871
00:46:50,833 --> 00:46:55,033
that shared the feudal lords' 
perspective on current events,

872
00:46:55,100 --> 00:46:59,066
taught morals, 
and told folktales.

873
00:46:59,133 --> 00:47:02,566
This series of tapestries 
from a slightly later age

874
00:47:02,633 --> 00:47:04,566
gives us a peek 
into the everyday lives

875
00:47:04,633 --> 00:47:06,333
of ordinary people.

876
00:47:06,400 --> 00:47:08,200
With captions in old French,

877
00:47:08,266 --> 00:47:11,600
it cleverly spins a story 
of youthful lustiness

878
00:47:11,666 --> 00:47:15,500
that shatters stereotypes 
of medieval piety.

879
00:47:15,566 --> 00:47:18,733
A shepherd girl cradles 
a bowl of soup in her lap.

880
00:47:18,800 --> 00:47:21,400
The flirtatious shepherd 
cuts a slice of bread

881
00:47:21,466 --> 00:47:23,300
and, as the text reads,

882
00:47:23,366 --> 00:47:28,200
saucily asks if he can dip 
into the goodies in her lap.

883
00:47:28,266 --> 00:47:31,500
Another woman brazenly 
strips off her socks

884
00:47:31,566 --> 00:47:34,666
to dangle her feet in the water.

885
00:47:34,733 --> 00:47:37,200
Couples freely dance together

886
00:47:37,266 --> 00:47:39,233
under the apple tree 
of temptation

887
00:47:39,300 --> 00:47:44,700
and around a bagpipe, 
symbolic back then of hedonism.

888
00:47:44,766 --> 00:47:47,100
Where does all this 
wantonness lead?

889
00:47:47,166 --> 00:47:48,133
Marriage.

890
00:47:48,200 --> 00:47:50,500
Music plays, the table's set,

891
00:47:50,566 --> 00:47:52,466
and the meat's on the barbecue

892
00:47:52,533 --> 00:47:56,733
as the bride enters 
with her groom.

893
00:47:56,800 --> 00:48:01,100
The bride smiles bravely, 
closely escorted by two men,

894
00:48:01,166 --> 00:48:05,966
while the scared groom 
gulps nervously.

895
00:48:06,033 --> 00:48:09,366
Tapestries were designed 
by Europe's best artists

896
00:48:09,433 --> 00:48:11,566
and woven from the finest thread

897
00:48:11,633 --> 00:48:14,000
in high-tech-for-the-day 
factories.

898
00:48:14,066 --> 00:48:16,866
They became a distinctly 
medieval art form.

899
00:48:18,966 --> 00:48:22,566
This exquisite series captures 
Europe's blossoming appreciation

900
00:48:22,633 --> 00:48:26,166
for sheer beauty 
at the end of the Middle Ages.

901
00:48:26,233 --> 00:48:30,233
It's a celebration 
of all the senses.

902
00:48:30,300 --> 00:48:32,500
There's taste.

903
00:48:32,566 --> 00:48:34,633
A woman takes candy 
from a servant's dish

904
00:48:34,700 --> 00:48:36,600
to feed to her parakeet

905
00:48:36,666 --> 00:48:40,200
while the little dog licks 
his lovingly-woven chops.

906
00:48:42,366 --> 00:48:46,266
Hearing -- The elegant woman 
plays sweetly on an organ,

907
00:48:46,333 --> 00:48:49,966
calming an audience 
of wild beasts.

908
00:48:50,033 --> 00:48:53,266
In this fanciful world, humans 
and their fellow creatures

909
00:48:53,333 --> 00:48:57,700
live in harmony 
in an enchanted garden.

910
00:48:57,766 --> 00:49:00,500
Sight -- 
A unicorn cuddles up

911
00:49:00,566 --> 00:49:03,300
and looks at himself 
in the lady's mirror,

912
00:49:03,366 --> 00:49:06,466
pleased with what he sees.

913
00:49:06,533 --> 00:49:10,666
The lion turns away 
and snickers.

914
00:49:10,733 --> 00:49:15,466
Touch -- That's the most basic 
and dangerous of the senses.

915
00:49:15,533 --> 00:49:21,166
Here, the lady strokes 
the unicorn's horn.

916
00:49:21,233 --> 00:49:22,966
And the lion looks out at us

917
00:49:23,033 --> 00:49:25,500
to be sure we get 
the double entendre.

918
00:49:27,666 --> 00:49:30,900
Medieval Europeans were enjoying 
the wonders

919
00:49:30,966 --> 00:49:35,433
and physical pleasures of life.

920
00:49:35,500 --> 00:49:40,066
The words on our lady's tent 
read, "To my sole desire."

921
00:49:40,133 --> 00:49:43,333
What is her only desire?

922
00:49:43,400 --> 00:49:45,333
Is it jewelry?

923
00:49:45,400 --> 00:49:47,566
Or is she putting 
the necklace away

924
00:49:47,633 --> 00:49:50,166
and renouncing material things?

925
00:49:50,233 --> 00:49:52,866
Is it God, love?

926
00:49:52,933 --> 00:49:55,900
The unicorn and lion 
open the tent.

927
00:49:55,966 --> 00:49:59,133
Is she going in to meet 
the object of her desire

928
00:49:59,200 --> 00:50:03,400
or just stepping out 
to embrace the world?

929
00:50:03,466 --> 00:50:11,833
♪♪

930
00:50:11,900 --> 00:50:14,000
Toward the end 
of the Middle Ages,

931
00:50:14,066 --> 00:50:16,100
a new spirit was blossoming.

932
00:50:16,166 --> 00:50:18,433
People were stepping out 
of medieval darkness,

933
00:50:18,500 --> 00:50:21,466
and art was changing 
with the changing times.

934
00:50:21,533 --> 00:50:23,900
Artists now celebrated 
not just God,

935
00:50:23,966 --> 00:50:26,100
but the beauty 
of the created world,

936
00:50:26,166 --> 00:50:30,766
done in a style that was 
more realistic than ever.

937
00:50:30,833 --> 00:50:34,400
Nowhere was that new spirit 
stronger than in Italy.

938
00:50:34,466 --> 00:50:36,700
With its close connection 
to ancient Rome

939
00:50:36,766 --> 00:50:39,300
and as the center 
of the Christian faith,

940
00:50:39,366 --> 00:50:43,300
Italy was home to both scholars 
and pilgrims.

941
00:50:43,366 --> 00:50:45,366
Cities buzzed with free trade,

942
00:50:45,433 --> 00:50:48,833
strong civic pride, 
and budding democracy

943
00:50:48,900 --> 00:50:54,100
as they broke free 
from centuries of feudal rule.

944
00:50:54,166 --> 00:50:57,500
As this allegory 
from the 1300s illustrates,

945
00:50:57,566 --> 00:51:00,633
once-rundown towns 
with chaos in the streets

946
00:51:00,700 --> 00:51:04,466
were becoming places 
where the shopping was brisk,

947
00:51:04,533 --> 00:51:08,366
construction's booming, 
students are attentive,

948
00:51:08,433 --> 00:51:11,600
and women dance freely 
in the streets.

949
00:51:11,666 --> 00:51:18,600
♪♪

950
00:51:18,666 --> 00:51:20,800
In his hometown of Assisi.

951
00:51:20,866 --> 00:51:24,500
Saint Francis was challenging 
the corruption of his church.

952
00:51:24,566 --> 00:51:26,433
His values are depicted in art

953
00:51:26,500 --> 00:51:30,266
which decorates the basilica 
built in his name.

954
00:51:30,333 --> 00:51:32,433
The artists who painted 
these frescoes

955
00:51:32,500 --> 00:51:34,733
employed unprecedented realism

956
00:51:34,800 --> 00:51:37,366
to celebrate the life 
of this down-to-earth man

957
00:51:37,433 --> 00:51:38,833
who inspired others

958
00:51:38,900 --> 00:51:42,066
and challenged a church 
in need of reform.

959
00:51:42,133 --> 00:51:44,000
Leading artists of the day,

960
00:51:44,066 --> 00:51:46,600
including the groundbreaking 
artist Giotto,

961
00:51:46,666 --> 00:51:50,233
depicted Francis' 
life story with dignity,

962
00:51:50,300 --> 00:51:53,933
raising this humble friar 
to saintly status.

963
00:51:56,500 --> 00:51:59,000
The artist captures 
the well-known episode

964
00:51:59,066 --> 00:52:01,766
where Francis preaches 
to the birds.

965
00:52:01,833 --> 00:52:04,166
The variety of birds 
represents nature

966
00:52:04,233 --> 00:52:06,666
and the diverse flock 
of humanity,

967
00:52:06,733 --> 00:52:10,933
all worthy 
of one another's love.

968
00:52:11,000 --> 00:52:13,633
In the compassionate spirit 
of Saint Francis,

969
00:52:13,700 --> 00:52:18,533
artists here portrayed powerful 
emotions as never before.

970
00:52:20,533 --> 00:52:24,366
This angel turns her head sadly 
at the sight of Jesus,

971
00:52:24,433 --> 00:52:26,800
while another is 
in such anguish,

972
00:52:26,866 --> 00:52:30,733
she tears at her cheeks in pain.

973
00:52:30,800 --> 00:52:33,800
Mary, traditionally shown 
forever stoic,

974
00:52:33,866 --> 00:52:36,000
faints in despair.

975
00:52:38,633 --> 00:52:40,300
Nearby in Padua,

976
00:52:40,366 --> 00:52:42,500
Giotto covered 
this glorious chapel

977
00:52:42,566 --> 00:52:44,500
with frescoes 
telling Bible stories

978
00:52:44,566 --> 00:52:48,166
with a realism that was 
astonishing for its day.

979
00:52:48,233 --> 00:52:50,200
Moving beyond the medieval norm,

980
00:52:50,266 --> 00:52:52,566
with the standard 
gold-leaf background,

981
00:52:52,633 --> 00:52:55,566
Giotto sets his scenes 
in the real world --

982
00:52:55,633 --> 00:52:59,200
rocks, trees, animals.

983
00:52:59,266 --> 00:53:01,933
His people, 
with their voluminous robes,

984
00:53:02,000 --> 00:53:05,766
are as sturdy and massive 
as Greek statues.

985
00:53:08,433 --> 00:53:11,800
Their gestures are simple 
but expressive.

986
00:53:11,866 --> 00:53:14,200
Arm raised shows anger.

987
00:53:14,266 --> 00:53:17,500
Head tilted down says dejection.

988
00:53:17,566 --> 00:53:21,766
And a tender kiss, caring love.

989
00:53:21,833 --> 00:53:25,900
He captures the dramatic moment 
when Jesus is arrested.

990
00:53:25,966 --> 00:53:29,166
Amid the chaos, Giotto 
skillfully throws the focus

991
00:53:29,233 --> 00:53:31,300
on the central action.

992
00:53:31,366 --> 00:53:33,800
Judas looks Jesus 
straight in the eyes

993
00:53:33,866 --> 00:53:37,766
and betrays him 
with that infamous kiss.

994
00:53:37,833 --> 00:53:39,633
After his execution,

995
00:53:39,700 --> 00:53:42,400
Jesus is taken down 
off the cross,

996
00:53:42,466 --> 00:53:45,833
and his followers 
weep over his lifeless body.

997
00:53:45,900 --> 00:53:49,233
♪♪

998
00:53:49,300 --> 00:53:52,066
John spreads his arms and wails,

999
00:53:52,133 --> 00:53:56,033
his cries echoed 
by anguished angels above.

1000
00:53:56,100 --> 00:53:58,900
Each face is a study in grief,

1001
00:53:58,966 --> 00:54:01,800
of the vulnerability 
and strong emotions

1002
00:54:01,866 --> 00:54:05,233
of these 
almost believable angels.

1003
00:54:05,300 --> 00:54:08,133
Giotto, considered 
the first modern painter,

1004
00:54:08,200 --> 00:54:10,433
created scenes 
that were beyond anything

1005
00:54:10,500 --> 00:54:14,066
that had been done 
in the entire Middle Ages.

1006
00:54:14,133 --> 00:54:17,233
By painting biblical themes 
with a new realism,

1007
00:54:17,300 --> 00:54:20,700
Giotto was embracing centuries 
of medieval tradition

1008
00:54:20,766 --> 00:54:23,233
while pointing the way 
to an exciting,

1009
00:54:23,300 --> 00:54:25,500
more modern future to come.

1010
00:54:25,566 --> 00:54:32,766
♪♪

1011
00:54:32,833 --> 00:54:34,900
After 1,000 years 
of Middle Ages,

1012
00:54:34,966 --> 00:54:36,566
Europe had been through a lot,

1013
00:54:36,633 --> 00:54:39,233
from the fall of Rome 
and centuries of turmoil

1014
00:54:39,300 --> 00:54:41,966
to the rise of Christianity 
and kings.

1015
00:54:42,033 --> 00:54:46,066
And through it all, 
Europeans created beautiful art.

1016
00:54:46,133 --> 00:54:47,600
Thanks for joining us.

1017
00:54:47,666 --> 00:54:51,000
I'm Rick Steves, 
celebrating the art of Europe.

1018
00:54:53,200 --> 00:55:01,733
♪♪

1019
00:55:01,800 --> 00:55:10,400
♪♪

1020
00:55:10,466 --> 00:55:19,000
♪♪

1021
00:55:19,066 --> 00:55:27,700
♪♪

1022
00:55:33,166 --> 00:55:35,033
♪♪